Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/586

 Governor B of New South Wales, were subjects brought by Ai'thuL" before his Council before the end of 18B1» It is worthy of remark, that in 1830 Co!oneI Arthur let! the way in enacting that the Usury Law in force in England at the date of the Constitution Act (25th July 1828) should not apply, and should be held not to hav^e applied, to Van Diemen's Land. Several years afterwards the Legislative Council of New South Wales passed a similar law. The invalidity of grants made by governors in their own instead of in the Queen's name was an evil in both colonieB. When the defect was discovered in Van Diemen's Land (1829) Arthuf pnulentl}^ concealed it until he obtained (in 18B0) authority under a royal warrant to correct it. He did not, however, sanction all claims by a general Act. He j>ref erred the more laborious and protracted, but more just, means of testing each grant, many frauds having been lirought to light, and many errors. To have attempted to confirm all grants would have been absurd, and in some cases impossible, for the descriptions were so conflicting that where there were many contiguous blocks, the presumed .area of one had often been ah*eady included in the description af another. So slovenly had been the practice that settlers '"^ere found occupying places to which tbey had no title, and bitter complaints were made of resumptions by the govern- ment, Though determined upon in 1880, the labours of the board a2)pointed by Arthiu' were not undertaken till 1882, When the Colonial Office resolved in 1831 that all, land should be sold by auction, the cessation of free grants, id the upset price of five shillings an acre, did not please Arthur. There was no undue tendem^y to dispersion in Van Diemen's Land, he said. The one thing he could do to counteract Lord Goderich's^'^ regulations he did. He lavishly exercised his power to grant lands before the new regulations could come into force. The collection of quit-rents was as dittieult in Van Diemen's Land as in New South Wales. Debts at first neglected, and afterwards evaded, caused an accumulation of arrears. Composition was proposed by the government. Eemissions were petitioned for by the holders of land- Those who redeemed their grants were dissatisfied wl ^ Afteirwairda ^m 1833) Lord Ripoiu