Page:Handbook of Western Australia.djvu/169

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Land.
151

Mr. Buchanan having accepted a pastoral charge in South Australia, Mr. Gibbs haa conducted Divine Service at Bunbury. It is hoped that Mr. Buchanan's place will be supplied ere long by the Colonial Missionary Society.




LAND.

Although the Land Regulations now in force revoke all those previously made, yet, as this alteration does not affect contracts, or engagements made under them, and as the various changes in the laws for the sale or lease of Crown Lands (all land not alienated by grant or purchase belonging to the Crown) have had much influence on the prosperity of the Colony, it may be well to give a brief account of them, and of the general results which they have produced.

The original grants of 453,000 acres to three persons, as already noted, were made under circular A, issued in 1829; but by circular B, which superseded it immediately, grants were made at the rate of 40 acres of freehold land for labour or material to the estimated value of £3 introduced into the Colony. 52,500 acres were thus allotted among 68 families, subject to conditional improvement, or forfeiture. By circular C, which applied to all immigrants arriving after December, 1830, one acre was granted for every three shillings of capital invested, and 100 acres for every servant introduced, subject to reversion if not improved; but, in 1831, circular D appeared, doing away with all free grants,