Page:Canterbury Papers.djvu/27

Rh do so with the view of insuring, as far as possible, that none but persons of good character, as well as members of the Church of England, shall form part of the population, at least in its first stage; so that the settlement may begin its existence in a healthy moral atmosphere.

The peculiarity of the method of the selection of land adopted in this Settlement, consists in allowing every purchaser of an order for rural land to select the quantity mentioned in his land order, in whatever part of the surveyed territory he may please, assisted by an accurate chart, which will be made as rapidly as circumstances will permit, representing the natural features, the quality of the soil, and the main lines of road.

Certain rules as to position and figure, embodied in the terms of purchase, and framed with a view to prevent individuals from monopolising more than a certain proportion of road or river frontage, must be observed in each selection.

But it is not the intention of the Association to divide the whole or any portion of the territory to be colonized (except the sites of the capital and other towns) into sections of uniform size and figure, which has been the system generally pursued in other settlements.

Every selection will be effected by the owner of the land order communicating to the Chief Surveyor a description of the spot on which he wishes his section to be marked out.

If this selection shall not violate the regulations as to position and figure, and if the area included shall be equal to the amount of land stated in the land order, the section will be immediately marked on the chart, and a surveyor will be sent as soon as possible to mark it on the ground.

A right of priority of selection among the first body of colonists will be determined in the manner provided in the 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 clauses of the terms of purchase. But after this first body shall have had an opportunity of selecting their land, every purchaser of a land order will be entitled to select any surveyed land to the amount of his order, which may be unselected at the time of his application.

The last peculiar feature of the economy of this settlement which deserves notice, is the system according to which the pasture of such land as may from time to time remain unsold, within the limits of the settlement, is to be distributed.

Licences conferring the right of depasturing the unsold land within the limits of the settlement will be granted on the conditions contained in certain clauses of the terms of purchase. But each purchaser, being one of the first body of colonists, will be entitled to pasturage in proportion to the amount of his freehold land on the conditions offered in Clause 21 of the terms of purchase. Pasturage licences will be issued for periods not exceeding twelve months. These licences will, however, convey no right to the soil, nor will any allowance be made to the holders of them for improvements, as the object of the Association is to avoid everything likely to discourage sales.

By the adoption of these arrangements with respect to pasturage; the real price of land in the settlement will be materially reduced to the first