they could not live comfortably with their of it. In as far as it operates in this way, it families upon the small income it yielded. Sti- is of course most detrimental to agriculture. mulated by necessity, they imagined to improve Many landlords will not sell their estates their estate by drying up the unhealthy and though they perhaps scarcely ever see them unprofitable marsh. They united their efforts, and could get for them a price which would laboured hard together, and ultimately suc-greatly increase their incomes, while the wouldceeded by the building of a bund and bridge in be purchasers hope that (and probably would trebling their incomes. Now which of the succeed) by their exertions they might get from two stories is the most likely to happen again, the same estate double or treble the present net it would be, I suppose, difficult to decide. produce. This increase is entirely lost to But according to some of the Reformer's society-thanks to a prejudice mostly owing to arguments, a law of primogeniture would the law of primogeniture! seem to be required for India not only with respect to landed property but also with respect to capital in general. Now this at least is consistent; if a law of primogeniture be good in So it has under the system of tithes been one case it must be so in the other. But this universally acknowledged to be a powerful novel way of considering it may be thought, obstacle to all improvements in the cultivation even by the advocates of law here alluded to, of the land; so it has under enormous taxes. as it is generally understood, to bring the ques- Other causes must have counteracted those tion ad absurdum; and as capital without any evils which it would be the height of absurdity legal compulsion accumulated well enough in to consider as having had any beneficial effect England in the hands of comparatively a small on the prosperity of England. It would be number of individuals, we may hope it will do difficult to enumerate all those causes, but the the same in India (if it be not so already) freedom of the subject, the laws so favourable when no other obstacles will prevent this accuto the yeomanry, long leases, abundance of mulation but the law of equal division among capital, the result of the most flourishing those to whom it descends by inheritance. commerce in the world, may be mentioned Admitting for the sake of argument what-among the most important ones. What was the ever has been said against small estates by the advocates of primogeniture, I would beg to ask them in return, are not overgrown estates a greater curse to agriculture than small ones? 3dly. "Compelling younger brothers to be Who has not seen large and rich estates the serviceable to themselves and the public by very extent of which prevented their being engaging in mercantile, civil, military or brought into full produce? Neglected they ecclesiastical employments instead of taking were because their proprietors rolling in up with the business and idleness of a counwealth had no motives for wishing to increase try life which it is supposed an equal division it at the expense of personal trouble. If the of the paternal estate would cause them to do." purpose of a law of primogeniture be merely But under such a system, the agriculture of England has become superior to that of perhaps any other country in the world..... pur state of agriculture in France, Spain, &c. under a system of laws of primogeniture, where the same counteracting influence did not exist? to reduce to prevent estates being divided into portions This argument supposes that to make men too minute, it is the most awkward and mis-active and laborious it is necessary chievous means to an end, which could well be them to beggary; that with a system of equal imagined. It applies to the most extensive division many younger brothers would have a estates as to the smallest; nay, by its opera- them the means of subsistence; that in genesmall landed estate which could just afford tion, it has a direct tendency to produce overgrown estates. This is falling from Charybdis ral men who could live in the country on an ininto Scylla. Would it not answer this come however small, would be content to pose much better (if it be absolutely necessary enjoy it without any attempt to better their forto have an express law on the subject) to fix a tune..... But is it right to draw such inferences certain extent for landed estates below which with respect to younger brothers from what they should not be allowed to be divided? For eldest sons are wont to do under the influence such a case the heirs at law, if they were seve of a law of primogeniture the natural effect ral, would be compelled to sell the paternal of which is to create prejudices which actuestate to a stranger, supposing none of them ally condemn the first born himself to the idlewas rich enough to purchase it, but this would ness of a country life? at least give to each of them a capital which might open for each the way to some other vents younger sons from doing any thing for In many cases a law of primogeniture premeans of livelihood, instead of enriching one themselves for want of capital. It provokes and beggaring the others. the creation of sinecures to provide for the A law of primogeniture by separating perso-younger branches of aristocratical families at nal from real property deprives the latter of a the expense of the labouring classes; but civil, capital perhaps necessary to keep up its pre-military, ecclesiastical situations or sinecures, sent value, or which at all events might have however numerous, cannot be had for all the probably increased it. It encourages family younger brothers, and many are compelled pride and by creating a strong prejudice in to live in a miserable state of poverty and favour of landed property, it prevents frequently dependence, whom a small capital would have property of that description from falling into enabled to render themselves useful and serthe hands of those who would make the best viceable to society. Should younger brothers under a system of equal division prefer in general the idleness or business of a country life, with a mere subsistence, to other pursuits which would offer them better prospects, trust to it, there is something rotten in such a society: it is not the effect of the inheritance in equal shares by which the evil might rather be counteracted; but ignorance and tyranny which are probably the chief causes of such a diseased state! No. It is no law of primogeniture that is required in India. It is instruction and protection from individual tyranny she mostly needs. Let her have a good system of civil, criminal, well administered laws, let her taxes be judiciously levied and moderate, let England deal with her commercial regulations as with an independent and friendly state, and India will prosper! India is at present an agricultural country, and she will remain so until the people require something more than a miserable rag to And what is there in Iitdia that should make cover their nakedness and a wretched hovel it so particularly desirable to have a law of for a house to shelter them. So much success primogeniture? It is alleged that two or three is said to have attended in France the estabrothers who inherit a small landed estate of blishment of fermes modeles, that it would be 30 or 40 begahs, or even less, either keep it worth perhaps trying the experiment in this undivided and live upon it together, or divide country. One in each district would scarcely it among themselves, and each cultivates his be ar y expense to Government, and might have share, content to live on the most wretched the most beneficial effects on agriculture. As pittance. But what would be the difference if to the extent of waste land fit for cultivation, the estate descended to the eldest brother? the circumstances of India bear some analogy Why, the others would either assist him as to those of the United States. Let Government servants or serve other cultivators. What encourage here by the education of the people, would there be in this more advantageous and beneficial to agriculture? The law of caste combined with the absence of manufacturers necessarily leaves no other resources but agricultural employments to an immense proportion of the Hindoos. by just laws, by a paternal administration the TALIB. REMARKS ON EMIGRANTS AND EMIGRATION TO NEW HOLLAND BUT MORE PARTICULARLY TO NEW SOUTH WALES. There are but few individuals now resident With residents in India, however, the case in India whose prolonged absence from their is far different; they have already undergone native country is a circumstance that in any the painful emotions ever attendant on the way prevents their indulging in the idea, that feeling bosom when separated from home, when their diligence may have accumulated country, and kindred. 'Tis true their hearts sufficient wealth, of their departing from this country and enjoying otium cum dignitate in a more congenial climate. may yearn again to view the scenes of their early days, yet a continued separation from them, has gradually softened the excited feeling and the exile can calmly look before him to the long period ere his engagements will permit him to leave India. The individual at home, possessed of a small capital, is perhaps fully aware,that in any other country, his wealth may be disbursed in a more profitable manner than his most sanguine wishAllowing these considerations to have their es can possibly anticipate in his own; yet, emo- due weight, it is obvious that the mind of the tions far different to those emanating from pe- resident in India is more fully prepared for cuniary considerations rise in his bosom, and the purposes of emigration; a few hints thereprevent his carrying the otherwise pleasing fore, to those who entertain ideas upon the subarrangements into effect. He may be a man of ject, may not prove uninteresting. family, and the transplanting of those nearest and dearest to him is to his unexperienced view The first question then to be proposed isa perilous hazard, in which he is loathe to parti- what sum is requisite to emigrate to New South cipate. The separating for ever from the place Wales, with certainty of success, and at the of his nativity, the rending asunder those same time, considering that the individual ties of love and friendship deeply seated in the wishes to retain a respectable place in society. heart, the long and dangerous voyage to be undertaken ere he can arrive at the land of his An answer not unadvisedly given would state adoption, are feelings of such serious import as that a sum amounting to 12,000 Rs. or money frequently conspire to prevent an individual to the amount of £1,200 would be sufficient. embarking upon the intended undertaking. It is, of course, understood that the current coin is English, excepting Spanish and Mexican bargains. This caution cannot be too strongly dollars, which are in great circulation, and insisted upon, more particularly with regard worth 4s., 41.-The present value of the to sheep, an animal which is productive of cerrupee is 2s. Id. tain returns proportionate to the fineness of the wool, and consequently the original cost. An individual with this sum would do well not on any account to purchase investments A person interested in the present enquiry, intended as merchandize, neither is there the and I believe not a few in India have and do least necessity to convey any property, except still entertain serious ideas upon the subject, that which is necessary for the voyage. Fur-will perhaps enquire the district which is not niture may always be procured at Sydney, and only the omst fertile, but also most suited to the markets consequent to numerous arrivals the individual who has long resided in India. are so variable, that little dependence can be placed on them. The article of tea may produced as an instance, that commodity having fallen 60 per cent in price, owing to the profuse importation in 1832. be The emigrant would act wisely to procure, not only influential, but also serviceable introductory letters, to individuals from whom valuable information would be procured. Farms are continually being offered for sale, through the medium of public advertisements, but the new comer ought to be extremely cautious of accepting, what may too frequently be deemed, alluring baits. He ought to be thoroughly satisfied that the parties with whom he is about to deal are respectable, and that the cause asserted, as the reason for their quit ting the estate, is really the fact. It may, however, be taken by the emigrant as a safe and general maxim, that, with the exception of small farms, few estates that are offered for sale are truly valuable, for in case a profitable farm is to be disposed of, numerous applicants, of old standing, in the country, invariably present themselves, and preclude any necessity for the seller to incur the expense and trouble of advertising. There are undoubtedly many individuals in the designation of the New Country, whose origin Bathurst, or as it is more generally known by and subsequent career fit them for any rank (however exalted) in society, yet, many farmers, who, originally prisoners, have obtained their ticket of leave, have also located there, an objection not applicable to the generality of settlers at Hunter's River, who are nearly all respectable and opulent members of the community. Tis true both are extremely eligible, and both lands are equal in fertility, yet the capabilities attached to the district of Hunter's River, are those, to which Bathurst can never aspire. The roads from Bathurst to Sydney are excellent; and the produce of the farms may at all seasons, and at all hours, be with facility conveyed, yet the steam communication from the Hunter, reduced by competition to rates exceedingly low, provides the settler, not only with a safe passage, but also with a cheap, and what is of more advantage, rapid conveyance of his commodities to Sydney. Three steam vessels now ply between Port Jackson and Maitland, a rising town of considerable extent situated about 40 miles up the River Hunter, the stream not being navigable to any greater height, excepting to vessels, averaging from 5 to 10 tons burthen. I shall now proceed to offer a few remarks upon servants. Those prisoners who have not been found guilty of any heinous offence, and whose conduct on the voyage has been tolerably correct, are considered capable and deserving of filling the situations of "assign d servants." The settler, after procuring the land, is, at his request, furnished with a certain form, which he fills up, according to directions given, and then forwards it to the " Board of Assignment," who provide the applicant with the desired servants, accordingly as they have been applied for in rotation. On the emigrant's arrival in Sydney, he must, immediately commence active arrangements and the best plan to be adopted is to procure a map from the Surveyor General's Office, on which the grants of Government to settlers, are all presented to his view. With practical and experienced people he must then advise, regarding the best part of the country to emigrate to, and, being well satisfied upon this point, would act wisely to proceed forthwith to the district, having previously procured introductory letters to the most influential persons there; they will invariably offer their best advice. It is, however, necessary to inform the settler to procure a site, well watered, with good and open pass, and with what it designat- On the servant being assigned, Government ed" a backrun,"-such may be procured as provides him with one complete suit of clothpasture for the cattle. From the Government ing, for which the master pays the sum of one he can then purchase the land at 5s. per acre, and moderate perseverance, combined with prudence, will invariably be crowned with success. guinea. It is also the duty of the emigrant to furnish the convict, with the following rations per week ;-meat 103lbs; flour, 103lbs; sugar, 7oz; salt, 2oz. If the servant conducts himself in a creditable manner, the employer not unusually presents him with tea and tobacco, but this is perfectly optional on the part of the master. One caution ought to be deeply impressed upon the mind of the settler, the mode adopted in disposing of cattle and stock-in-trade. The emigrant must be very careful in his purchase, and never buy until favourable opportunities, The emigrant is also required to furnish his from respectable parties, present excellent assigned servant with two suits of woollen slop vered. Passage, .... clothing (usually made of paramatta cloth, a £150 more, the balance may easily be discocheap yet most durable commodity,) three pairs of boots, four shirts, and one cap or hat per annum, but generally, (excepting in large establishments) they receive clothing as requir ed, an arrangement profitable to the master. The total expense of a male prisoner in N. S. W. may be averaged from £9 to £11 sterling per year. Purchase of 1,280 acres of land, at5 per acre, .... Clearing and cropping of 50 acres, £50 ... 320 ... 250 100 150 Total amount,.. 870 The extreme healthiness of the climate, combined with its moderate temperature, render it a residence peculiarly adapted to the enervated individual of India. Some few cases resembling remittent and continued fevers, have occur red, yet these were of so undecided a nature, as not to allow of any satisfactory deductions. which subtracted from the original sum of It may, therefore, be safely asserted, that inter- £1,200, will leave a balance of £330. mittents, remittents, typhus, scarlet fever, small pox, measles, hooping cough, and croup, In the above calculations there are many are here unknown. Much annoyance has been items which being too lengthy to publish in deexperienced from a hot wind, fortunately of short duration, and in some instances, after tail, are of course omitted, the principal being having discovered certain febrile concomitants the cost incurred by entertaining servants. terminates in what is generally designed, "a, blight in the eyes," which by common attenFrom the circumstance of my having mention tion is easily cured. The hottest months are ed that £1,200 is a sum adequate to the purposes from December to March, more particularly of a respectable emigrant, it must not be inferFebruary, in which month the thermometer not unfrequently rises to 75° in the shade, at red that this amount is capable of speculating noon. July, which is the coldest month, the successfully in grazing pursuits. Those indithermmeter averages 53. The temperature viduals who possess large capital will undoubtthroughout the year is most congenial to the old East Indian. edly do well to invest their money in agricul I had almost omitted to mention a circumtural, farming, aud grazing avocations, and stance of no trivial import to the emigrant upon his selection of the ground. From the date at which he applies for the land, nine months, on the most favourable calculation,must elapse, till the time he is able to purchase the desired spot. the latter will return them immediate profits; yet the settler possessing only £1,250. must, by progressive and prudent steps, only attempt to enter upon this business. There is another advantage which the capitalist enjoys, and which may prove of the greatest benefit to him. The circumstance of his being enabled to procrastinate his proceeding without any essential injury to his capital. The And in fixing upon any particular site, he must be exceedingly careful that he is to meet with no competition in the market, as it is in the power of any other colonist to outbid him at the sale. This circumstance may, however, by moderate foresight be avoided, as this would only occur when the contiguity of the allot-time that is spent between his arrival in the Coment affected the interest of the adjoining land-lony, and that at which he commences active holder. I observed that the sum of £1,200 would ena ble an individual to emigrate to New South Wales with every probability of success, an investigation into this remark may not be unprofitable to those interested in the subject. operations, ought to be devoted to acquiring practical and useful knowledge, concerning subjects connected with his future pursuits. And to do this effectually it behoves him to proceed to some friend's residence in the interior, of old standing in the Colony, and in the active proceedings which he has daily opportunities of investigating there, he will procure that information calculated to be of inestimable service to him, when conducting and superintending the proceedings on his own estate. Say, the passage of the emigrant amounts to £50, and upon his arrival, he purchases twelve hundred and eighty acres, at the minimum price of 5s. per acre, this will amount to £320. The clearing and cropping for one year of fifty acres is £250. A house erected under favourable circumstances, (wood being always procured in abundance) will cost him £100. Agricul- The last quotations from the Sydney markets tural and incidental expenses may amount to are exceedingly high, and this is owing to the drought which has prevailed during the past expect to undergo those deprivations to which year, and of which I shall take an opportuni- he has probably been used at home, and must ty presently to offer a few observations. The make up his mind to the forfeiture of all reprices were as follow. gard to appearances. Wheat 13s. 6d. per bushel; Maize 10s. per ditto; oaten hay£18 to£20 per ton; potatoes 14s. to 18s. per cwt; fat bullocks averaged from £6 to £8 each; sheep from 14s. to 18s. each; pork per lb 44d; draught horses from £10 to £15 each; gig and saddle ditto from £15 to £30; fine flour per 100lbs. £1 183; second ditto £1 16s; American ditto £1 15s; but it must be borne in mind, that this is by no means the average price of provisions, all commodities being, (unless at the period similar to the present) exceedingly low. But there is another class of intended emi grants,and they are probably the most numerous, to whom a few words, founded upon practical knowledge, may not prove either uninteresting or unprofitable. I allude to those individuals, who unfortunate in their circumstances, and being possessed of no means, by which any likely improvement in their concerns may take place, are willing to risk their remaining property in emigrating to New South Wales. He is now in a situation by which he procures excellent food, and opportunities almost invariably are presented, which he would act prudently to embrace, by the purchase of any cattle, from the amount of his wages. It is understood that these could be kept without his incurring any extra expense, his employer not having the least occasion to refuse permission to their remaining on his "run." By these means the settler, with a capital of only £300 will, by constant perseverance and industry, accumulate sufficient property to com mence the cultivation of his own land, without drawing upon his original capital, and by this mode of procedure he is placed in a most advantageous situation, for by invariably keeping in hand from a fifth to a third of his original capital, he is always prepared to take advantage of the market, and not sell his produce, when meeting pressing demands, in a disadvan tageous manner. It may not be uninteresting to the generality. of my readers, who are most probably connectTo such an individual possessed of £500, Ied with the Army, to present them with the could seriously offer as the best advise, a most arrangements promulgated for the information careful foresight in the distribution of his little of those who may be disposed to become setcapital. Many persons have purchased land tlers in New South Wales or Van Dieman's with an equal amount, and they have even cal- Land. culated liberally for the expense that would of necessity be afterwards incurred in cultivating the farm, yet their store has too frequently proved miserably deficient, and they have found themself unexpectedly situated on the verge of beggary. An individual of this class ought, upon his arrival, to place his money out upon interest. He may easily procure 10 per cent for his cash upon the best security. He has thus the pleasure of knowing, that his original property is not diminishing, yet, in the mean time, he has to procure a subsistence for himself. This object is easily attainable in a subordinate situation, such as overseer to some of the numerous stockholders, who are ever in want of respectable men to manage their affairs. While in his situation, (preferable to all others) he must "The officers of the Army wishing to become settlers, shall, like other individuals, procure Land, only by purchase at the public sale, but they shall be entitled to have a remission of the purchase-money, to the following amount, provided they shall produce, from the General Commanding-in-Chief, satisfactory tes timonials of good conduct, and of unexceptionable character. Officers who have served twenty years and upwards, shall have a remission of £300. Officers who have served fifteen years and upwards, £250. Officers who have served ten years and upwards £200. Officers who have served seven years, and less than ten, £150. |