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23. Whether do you consider the want of population or the difficulties connected with obtaining land by people of limited capital, the greater evil at the present time?—Both evils are very great, which is the greater I can scarcely say. The country would not thrive without population, and immigrants would not come without facilities for obtaining land.

24. If such amendments were made to the present Land Regulations as would enforce the "improving obligations," do you think the evils you desire to remedy would be remedied thereby?—The enforcement of the conditions of purchase would deter speculators and capitalists from absorbing large areas of our best agricultural country, but then you have the emigration still to provide for.

25. Do you consider that in the present position of the whole question of land sales it would be desirable to resuscitate the obligations of purchasers, and if necessary to obtain the addition of a penal clause to the regulations which would provide for the enforcement of the obligation clause?—For the future I would make the conditions compulsory, and, if need be, append a penal clause to that effect. As regards the past you can only meet the case by throwing difficulties in the way of transferring such lands and of obtaining crown grants.

26. Will you explain what you mean by throwing difficulties in the way of transferring lands and obtaining crown grants?—By the imposition of high transferring fees, and withholding facilities for subdivision.

27. Looking to the present working of the land regulations in the sale of lands, are you of opinion that any alteration is desirable; and, if so, what?—The present working of the land regulations is admirably adapted for discountenancing the laboring man and small capitalist, and playing into the hands of the speculator. The necessity which circumstances impose of bringing only a small portion of land into the market at once leads to the prevalence of the auction system, in which the poor man goes to the wall. The size of the allotment also tells heavily against him here too; for, though he could compete for 10 or 20 acres, it is out of his power to compete for 80 or 100. Speculators can afford to buy every acre of land now in the Hundreds at a rate considerably above the upset price of £1, as it is not only the best land in the country as regards the character of the soil, but from its vicinity to the coast, and proximity to forests. Put it into the market in its present divisions and in mass, and you have dealt a death blow to the Province that will make its enemies rejoice. You may pay highly for immigrants, but after arrival they will leave you. The only remedies that I know of are as follows:—1. The division of the agricultural land into small allotments. 2. Its gradual introduction into the market as population increases. 3. Encouraging by every means the settlement of the laboring classes and small capitalists, by affording every facility for their obtaining land to the amount of 100 acres, on conditions of improvement and residence, and at a fixed price. 4. The introduction of land for sale in allotments, like the chequers of a chess board, diagonally. 5. Compelling the owners of all unimproved land to bear their share of all rates for education, roads, police, or other purposes. 6. Give land to every immigrant paying his passage, either intermediate or between decks, in proportion to his family, and those who accompany him, leaving the agents to select the immigrants, confining their selection to three classes in fixed proportions—small capitalists who are independent of personal labor; others who are obliged to work for their neighbors occasionally, and laborers, both farm and skilled. 7. Throwing every possible legal difficulty in the way of owners of unimproved land giving a title to their property or transferring their certificates of occupation. 8. Fostering by every means any system which will provide immigration by land instead of money payments. I consider population as the life’s blood of the province, and population will only aggregate where there are decided advantages such as your sea-board agricultural districts afford. Multiply your population and you multiply your future land purchasers and increase the value of all land whether belonging to the Crown or to private individuals. Alienate these lands by throwing them into the lap of the capitalists and speculators, and you enrich these classes at the expense of the State, and force the immigrant to buy in a dearer market, enacting the spendthrift’s part by disposing of your property before it has fairly begun to increase in value from the existence of a resident population.

28. If you dispose of land only by the land orders, whence do you provide the means to meet the demands on the revenue for public works, education, steam, &c.?—By obtaining possession of interior land, by negotiation with those licensees of runs who are disposed to part with their title; such land being unfit for agriculture and not of a mineral character. Should such negotiation fail, and legal rights interfere with the disposal of such land to capitalists, then recourse must be had to loans, with a sinking fund re-payable at certain periods, commencing from the time when the titles of the present licensees legally expire. By the "Land Sales and Leasing Ordinance," which prevented the sale of lands outside of Hundreds without the consent of the licensee, the land revenue was paralysed for 14 years. It is necessary, therefore, to borrow money in anticipation of the time when the shackles will be cast off, and the estate restored to you. There is no other remedy—we must either extinguish the title by negotiation, borrow on the property, or raise money by recklessly squandering our best land within Hundreds without obtaining population. These are the stern realities of our position, and they must be fairly and fearlessly faced.

29. Supposing the land order system of immigration was not considered advisable, how would you propose to encourage immigration?—The question is encircled with difficulties. On one point I am decided, that the present system, from its highly injurious political and moral influence, must cease, except perhaps on a very small scale and restricted to well guaranteed parties on the distinct understanding that the bill for the advance of passage money must be met immediately it falls due. Immigration can only be fostered by gratuitous assistance in money, or by a gift of land, which is another form of money assistance—or by loan to the immigrant. By the two former we only part with our money; by the latter, if