PHILLIP ASKS FOR FREE SETTLERS. 41 that time arrived the settlements both there and at Sydney were reduced almost to starvation. Grumblers in the House of Commons denounced the whole scheme of coloni- zation as absurd, and prophesied that the colony could never be self-supporting, but would continually tax the mother-country to feed it. Phillip was wise enough to urge that free emigrants should be encouraged to try their fortunes, bringing with them the capital so sorely needed, with which they might bring land into cultivation, and spread their stock over the hills where pasture was annually wasted. Before all the stores had been landed from his ships he wrote : (9th July) " If fifty farmers were sent out with their families they would do more in one year in rendering this colony independent of the mother-country, as to pro- visions, than a thousand convicts." Meantime, on impor- tations alone I depend." On the 10th July (1788) he suggested that immigrant farmers should be "supported by government for two or three years, and have the labour of a certain nuniber of convicts to assist them lor that time . . . The sending out settlers who will be interested in the labour of the convicts and in the cultivation of the country appears to me to be absolutely necessary. Lands granted to officers and settlers will, I presume, be on condition of a certain proportion of the land so granted being cultivated or cleared within a certain time, which time and quantity can only be deter- mined by the nature of the ground and situation of the lands." Officers cultivating lands must ** likewise be allowed convicts, who must be maintained at the expense of the Crown." Despatches from Whitehall (24th Aug., 1789) ^^ ^^ich authorized grants to non-commissioned officers and marines, also instructed Phillip that he might give to other settlers grants of land to ** such amount as you shall judge proper," and assign to each grantee the service of any number of convicts he might **judge sufficient to answer their pur- pose," the settlers maintaining and feeding the convicts, and paying annual quit-rent on the lands after five years' occupation. Teachers of tillage would be sent. The Sec- retary of State " flattered" himself that after the autumn ^ Additional Royal Instructions accompanied these Despatches. They dealt with the subjects of grants of land ; assignment of convicts to grantees ; reserves; church reserves, &c. A table of fees (governor'a ^^ct^V«»x^'^% surveyor's ; auditor's; registrar's) was attached.
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