advisers of the Government. The measure, amended by a subsequent Parliament, became the permanent law of Victoria, and has regulated agricultural settlement for more than a generation. The French Government in New Caledonia, where there were no squatters in possession to conspire against the law, adopted my Land Act almost in its entirety for use in that colony. Another division of the Act dealt with the rent of pastoral land. The undoubted and express intention of the measure was to obtain an increased rent; and from a hundred to a hundred and fifty thousand pounds a year was expected. When the increased rents were fixed by the Board of Land and Works appeals were taken out against them, and the arbitrators to whom the appeals were committed did not increase, but actually diminished, the entire amount heretofore paid for the use of the public territory. Against such a contingency we had provided in the Act. The Board of Land and Works were authorised to increase the rent, if it were too low, at any period during twelve months. But here again the draftsman failed fatally; it was decided that such increase could only be made in cases where there had been no appeal, and appeals had been nearly universal. I refused to acquiesce in this decision, and I immediately prepared a Bill to amend the Land Act in this respect, and in all other respects in which it had proved defective.[1]
- ↑ Before parting from this era, there are many collateral incidents which I would gladly recall if I did not fear overloading my narrative. One trivial one is curious for its catastrophe. Before introducing the Land Bill I made a long journey with the Surveyor-General to become familiar with the territory, and an incident befel us in the Loddon district which moved mingled wrath and laughter. The district surveyor had laid out a new road which he had manifestly planned upon paper, for it ran into a precipice which it would cost some thousands of pounds to bridge. Within a few perches of the proposed road lay the one long employed in the country, which altogether avoided the precipice. When our carriage arrived at this point we found the ordinary road blocked by a gate, and a man in attendance to receive toll, who demanded half-a-crown to permit us to pass. We inquired if he had legal authority for levying a toll on a public pathway. Yes, he said, he had legal authority enough, for the land was his own property. We inquired when he had purchased the highway, and if he would show us his title deed. He had legal authority enough, he said; he held it by occupation license. We reminded him that no occupation license would entitle him to levy a toll, and we assured him that if the authorities in Melbourne heard of his proceedings, his license would immediately be withdrawn. "No fear," said he, "you may see the license hanging up in my hut; and it is signed by the President
