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MODE OF ESTABLISHING A SETTLEMENT.

our present wretched, lame, and mischievous condition of irresponsibility, ignorance, and jobbing.

For the purpose of illustrating my meaning and establishing, as accurately as I can, the principles which ought in my opinion to preside over these proceedings, I will suppose a case, and lay the scene in Australasia.

Very lately a company, composed of persons of the highest respectability and intelligence, obtained an immense tract of land north of Sydney, and they are endeavouring to the best of their ability to form a new colony, in the hope (a very legitimate hope) of giving a value to their land, by making a new and flourishing community. Now, instead of this imperfect mode of proceeding, my plan would have been as follows:

These gentlemen being desirous of planting a new colony, would have applied, according to a set form, to the Colonial Minister in England.* The minister determines to permit the planting of this new colony. But I in my plan assume, that the boundaries of the SETTLEMENT† of SYDNEY have been ascertained, and that Sydney is in the transition state of a SETTLEMENT, but proceeding

* As we advance in the exposition of the whole of my scheme, this first application will receive important modifications.

+ Why this colony is here called a settlement and not a province, will hereafter appear. And I introduce here a mention of Sydney for two reasons: 1st The land given or sold to the company above mentioned lies north of, and conterminous with, Sydney, and therefore the question of boundary between the new colony and Sydney will arise; and 2nd, I desire to explain the mode in which such a question of boundary in all cases would be provided for. Sydney under my plan would long since have been a PROVINCE.

rapidly to the condition of a PROVINCE. The minister, that is, the Secretary of State, having so determined, he, according to the provisions of the general act, which I assume to have been passed, gives notice in the Gazette, "that a SETTLEMENT, called ( ) is hereby declared to be founded from the date of the present publication: That its boundaries are ( commission has been issued, appointing ( missioners, for the purpose of surveying the territories lying within the limits herein above stated, and which territories will hereafter constitute the SETTLEMENT of

(

,) That a

com

)*above-named. That so soon as the survey so commanded has been duly performed, notice thereof will be given in the Gazette, and a day appointed for the sale of lands in the said SETTLEMENT of which land so surveyed, maps will be duly published."

The commission for the surveying the new colony having been issued, the commissioners, with the surveyors, &c., are at once despatched to their work. The expense of this survey will be covered by the sale of the

lands, as hereafter to be described.

The survey is a most important proceeding. It need not indeed be actually performed of the whole new outlying, and unappropriated wild territory; but whatever is done, must be done with a view to the whole eventual survey, and with a comprehensive regard to the great

* I have not ventured on a name for my imaginary colony, but would suggest that some rational system of naming should be adopted. Really new, and thereby distinguishing names ought to be employed. We pursue at present Dandie Dinmont's plan with his dogs.

physical features of the whole territories, and with distinct and constant relation to the political as well as the private purposes for which the survey is instituted. For the efficient and accurate fulfilment of this all-important preliminary, the experience of the United States affords ample instruction. There is no pretence for saying that any difficulty exists which cannot be easily over

come.

For political and social ends, the country must be divided into COUNTIES, TOWNSHIPS, and PARISHES, and roads must be indicated: for private purposes-for the purpose of giving metes and bounds to private and public property, the land to be sold must be divided

into LOTS.

To the minister there is of necessity much confidedand upon his intelligence much will in the commencement depend. Under the circumstances here supposed, the whole is yet in its mere infancy. As we advance, indeed, we shall see the ministerial influence becoming less; while that of the communities already formed, and near to the spots about to be newly planted, and whose interests would be greatly involved in the success of every such new enterprise, will increase, and in the end, render the welfare of the whole set, or group, or SYSTEM of colonies very little dependent upon the capacity or knowledge of the Colonial Secretary. In the commencement, however, we cannot possibly escape from the necessity of some dependence on his activity, intelligence, skill, and honesty.

The minister must decide where the first town shall be placed and the first town lots laid out-where, for

the first few years, the seat of government shall be established the court of appeal be holden.

The Gazette now declares the survey to be perfected, the maps are published, and a day of sale of the land is appointed.

We may now suppose the company of which mention has been made, to be large purchasers of land, purchasing like any other person, excepting that as they bring a common purse, they are able to purchase more than isolated individuals.

Now, also, ought to be experienced the full effect of that Act of Parliament of which I spoke above, and which I stated should act by a predetermined rule, at once introducing law, and the machinery of government into the SETTLEMENT. By that Act of Parliament a system of municipal, that is, local management of local concerns would be at once established. There would be a parish, a township, a county organization. The vestry, the township court, and the county council: The various parish officers, such as constables, relieving officers, way-wardens, (churchwardens?)* &c.: The township officers, such as the magistrates of petty or township sessions-select men who are sent from the parishes, and other officers needed to superintend matters interesting to the larger sections of the country, and, lastly, sheriffs, and the members of the county council, who would exercise for the county the same sort of jurisdiction that is now exercised in England by Town

* The reason for putting a query here will be seen when I discuss the question of a state church for the colony.

Councils in boroughs, would all be described and provided for. Such an organization* as this, being created by a general Act of Parliament, every man in the new colony would, on the instant of his arriving, and becoming a settler, not only feel interested in the success of the new community, but in some measure responsible for it; he would also acquire a confidence in himself and his position. In fact, that spirit of activity, that energy, which have been so manifest in all the American colonies, would appear in ours, and their prosperity would be

commensurate.

By the same Act of Parliament-not only would this internal, domestic organization, if I may so call it, be provided; but so also would that by which the general government of the new community would be carried on.

The metropolis-or, to speak English and not Greek, the mother country-is bound to protect her colony from all external aggression. With a warlike navy, therefore, a colony has no concern. The case is not quite the same with respect to the army: as regards foreign enemies, the mother country must deal with them, and for her army the colony is not called to contribute any thing. But for many purposes a militia is useful; as a police, it is of great use, and if there be wandering and

* In a work like the present, every provision required in so important an act of parliament need not be set forth. What is now necessary is simply to indicate the field of legislation, and give some general idea of its extent and character, reserving for the framing of the bill itself the systematic and complete exposition of all its requisite provisions. But such a bill passed into an act is an indispensable preliminary to any general or comprehensive policy, or line of conduct.