Page:History of West Australia.djvu/53

 Rh to Peel, the great English statesman, possessed considerable capital which he desired to invest, and he was not afraid to risk it and his life in a country so far away as Australia. The population of New South Wales was at this time approaching 50,000, and fortunes had already been made out of land which had enormously risen in value. This was a spur to him. Captain Stirling was anxious to settle Britishers in Australia, not only to supply English, Indian, and other markets with produce and and livestock, but because he believed, in common with others, that by so doing the English language and the English constitution would finally spread over the Eastern Archipelago and among the many hazy islands of the south seas.

In 1828 an association was formed, of which some authorities say Captain Stirling was a promoter, but in which Mr. Peel was a chief spirit, to petition the English Government for a grant of land on the west coast of New Holland. A memorial to this effect, dated 4th November, 1828, was forwarded to Sir George Murray, the Home Secretary, and signed by Mr. Thomas Peel, Sir Francis Vincent, Col. Macquean, and Mr. Schenley. They asked for a grant on the Swan, promising in return to convey and settle numbers of people in the ountry. They estimated the cost of sea passage of each person at £30, and desired that land should be assigned them at the rate of one acre to every eighteenpence thus expended. It was their avowed intention to send out 10,000 persons within four years, each person to be indentured for a given period, at the end of which he, or she, would receive 200 acres out of the grant made to the association. For every person at £30 a passage 400 acres were asked for. Certain objects were stated to be intended—to supply the English navy with beef and pork, the East India Company's forces with horses, and to produce cotton and tobacco.

Such a gigantic proposal involved the outlay of enormous capital. Could it be successfully carried out, the question of populating the western portion of Australia were quickly solved. It was not considered necessary by the petitioners to acquire more information about the soil and general resources of the country proposed to be settled. They were abundantly satisfied and convinced by what they had heard from Captain Stirling, and read from the explorers' reports, and were ready to risk princely fortunes.

The English Government, while considering the proposals, were not willing to go to such lengths as the petitioners desired. As shown, they looked with special favour on the proposal to establish a colony in West Australia because of the likelihood of French colonisation. West Australia was already annexed and declared as British territory, but it was thought advisable to people it with English settlers, and while taking advantage of its resources leave no possible opening wherein France could gain a foothold. They therefore entertained the petition, and determined at the same time to declare a colony, but did not intend that the State should incur any great expense in its establishment. The public finances were somewhat straitened, and the convict colonies of New South Wales and Tasmania involved a considerable outlay of public money.

On the 5th December, 1828, they replied to the application, agreeing to make a grant, but on a reduced scale. They would allocate land to the association and to anyone at the rate of 200 acres on sea passages reckoned at £15 per head, with an additional allowance of 40 acres on every £3 invested in stock of any description. The association should have a priority of choice of country, while Captain Stirling, who was designed to assume control of the colony, should also have an extensive grant awarded him.

Mr. Peel's partners would not agree to these proposals, and thereupon retired from the association. But Mr. Peel was determined to proceed, and after further correspondence with the Government definite terms were arranged. They provided "that half a million of acres should be allotted to Mr. Peel after the arrival of a vessel sent out by him with four hundred settlers, and if, at the expiration of the year 1840, it should be found that the requisite investment in the colony of one shilling and sixpence the acre had been made, another half million of acres would then be assigned him by degrees, as fresh importations of settlers and capital were made, in accordance with the original terms published at the Colonial Office." Mr. Peel was further informed that a tract of 250,000 acres, for which he was allowed a priority of choice, would be reserved for him until November 1, 1829, but in the event of his non-arrival in the colony by that time, or with fewer emigrants than stipulated, he would be granted as many acres as his actual number of settlers and amount of investment would cover at the rate of 40 acres for every £3.

The terms were agreed to, and Mr. Peel applied for and was awarded, in anticipation of his compliance with the stipulations, 250,000 acres extending along the Swan and Canning Rivers towards Fremantle.

A second proposal to establish a settlement was made about the same time without satisfactory results. We have not the privilege of examining records bearing on this, but from a work on Western Australia, written by Mr. Nathaniel Ogle, F.G.S., &c., in 1839, is taken the following:- "The writer, in 1828-9, was desirous, from private information he had received, to emigrate, with nearly a thousand well-selected companions, to Leschenault and La Vasse. A frigate of nearly 1700 tons, built at Archangel for the Greeks, was selected; the capital ready was ample; it was deemed necessary to require the use of the ship on the coast for three years, to supply the colony with labourers, cattle, and provisions. The Government, after much correspondence, refused them permission to use their ship for that period, because she was foreign built, which caused the expedition to be abandoned—to his great and lasting regret."

The English Government having determined to proclaim a colony, quickly arranged the basis upon which it was to be formed, and published a circular to that effect on the same date that their reply was addressed to Mr. Peel. This circular specially provided that the affairs of the colony should be conducted as economically, so far as the State was concerned, as the circumstances would permit. To this end, probably, they decided that the terms they were offering to Mr. Peel should be offered to any persons who wished to emigrate. They promised that grants of land should be made upon the capital invested in stock and passage money for capitalists and servants, to be reckoned at eighteenpence per acre, or 40 acres for every £3. The Government would not hold itself liable in any way, nor must settlers expect any assistance in subsidies from them. This circular, issued from the Colonial Office on 5th December, 18, read:—

"Although it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to form a settlement on the western coast of Australia, the Government do not intend to incur any expense in the conveyance of settlers, or in supplying them with necessaries after their arrival. Such persons, however, as may be prepared to proceed to that country at their own cost before the year 1829, in parties comprehending a proportion of not less than five female to six male settlers, will receive grants of land in fee simple (free of quit rent) proportioned to the capital they may invest upon public or private objects in the colony, to the satisfaction of His Majesty's Government at home, certified by the Superintendent or other officer administering the colonial government, at the rate of 40 acres for every sum of £3 so invested, provided they give previous security; first, that all supplies sent to the colony, whether of provisions, stores, or other articles, which may be purchased by capitalists there, or which shall have been sent out for the use of them or their parties on the requisition of the Secretary of State, if not paid for on delivery in the colony, shall be paid for at home, each capitalist being to be held liable in his proportion; and, secondly, that in the event of the establishment being broken up by the Governor or