In none of the British colonies is the disposal of unoccupied lands conducted in such a systematic and perfect manner as in the United States of North America. The unoccupied lands within the limits of the Union are vested in the Federal government. There is a General Land Office at Washington, under which there are abo"e forty district land-offices in other parts of the Union. Connected with the Land Office is a Surveying De partment The surveys are founded upon a series of true meridians. The greatest division of land marked out by a survey is called a township, and it contains 23,040 acres, being a square of six miles to the side. The township is divided into thirty-six equal portions, or square miles. These portions are called seo tions, and they are subdivided into quarter sections of a hundred and sixty acres each. The quarter sections are finally divided into two parts, called half - quarter sections. Section sixteen (one square mile) in every township is reserved for schools in the township. All salt springs and lead-mines are also reserved, and are let on lease by the ge neral government. In 1820 purchasers of land were no longer allowed to obtain laud on credit : and in the same year the minimum price of land was reduced from two dollars to one and a quarter dollar per acre. The mode of sale is by public auction, and lands nc-• sold on the day fixed may be bought by private contract at the minimum price. Squatters, or per sons who settle on the land without a title, have pre-emptive rights. [SousrrEn.j Of the public lands of the United States there had been sold up to 1843, 107,796,536 acres, and the amount re ceived for the same was 170,940,942 dol lars (36,000,0001.). In the year 1836, the receipts from land sales amounted to 25,167,833 dollars. The net residue of the proceeds of lands are distributed amongst the different states under an act passed in 1841. In 1843 the estimated quantity of land remaining to be sold within the limits of the union was 1,084,064,993 acres, and of this quantity 272,646.356 acres had been surveyed.
The following is an abstract of the regulations at present in operation in the British colonies for the disposal of waste lands :— Canada.—By a provincial act of 1841 Crown lands are to be sold at a price to be from time to time fixed by the governor in council. The proceeds of the laud sales are not specially appropriated, but form part of the general colonial revenue. The prices fixed for the present are as follows : For Canada, West (Upper Canada), 8s. currency (about 6s. 7d. sterling) per acre ; for Canada, East (Lower Canada), in the county of Ottawa, and south of the river St. Lawrence, to the west of the Kenne bec road, 6s. currency (about 4s. 11d. sterling); and elsewhere in that division of the province, 48. currency (about 3s. 34d. sterling) per acre. These prices do not apply to lands resumed by government for non-performance of the conditions of settlement on which they were granted under a former system now abolished, nor to lands called Indian Reserves, and Clergy Reserves; which three classes are, as well as town and village lots, subject to special regulations.
The size of the lots of country lands is usually 200 acres ; but they are sold as frequently by half as whole lots.
The following are the conditions of sale at present in force :-1st. The lots are to be taken at the contents in acres marked in the public documents, without guaran tee as to the actual quantity contained in them..-2d. No payment of purchase. money will be received by instalments, but the whole purchase-money, either in money or land scrip,*must be paid at the time of sale.-3M. On the payment of the purchase-money, the purchaser will receive a receipt which will entitle him to enter .n the land which he has pur chased, and arrangements will be made for issuing to him the patent without delay. The receipt thus given not only authorizes the purchaser to take imme diate possession, but enables him, under the provisions of the Land Act, to main tain legal proceedings against any wrong ful possessor or trespasser, as effectually as if the patent deed had issued on the day the receipt is dated.
Government land agents are appointed in the several municipal districts, with full power to sell to the first applicant any of the advertised lands which the return open to public inspection may show to be vacant within their districts.
Nova Scotia.—The public lands are here also sold at a fixed price of Is. 9d. sterling per acre, payable at duce. The smallest regular farm lot contains one hundred acres. Any less quantity of land may be had, but the cost would be the same as for one hundred acres, viz. 81.15s., the minimum sum for which a deed of grant is issued.
New Brunswick.—The mode of sale in this province is by auction. The upset price is generally about 2s. 8d. sterling (3s. currency), but varies according to situation, &c. The average price of or dinary country lands has been from 4s. 6d. to 9s. sterling (5s. to 10s. cur rency) per acre, according to situation, &c. Fifty acres is the smallest quantity usually sold.
Prince Edward's Island.—In this co lony the Crown has little land at its dis posal, namely, about 8400 acres. Sale by auction prevails, and the average price realized for ordinary country lands has been from 10s. to 14s. currency per acre.
Newfoundland.—There exists no offi cial return of the surveyed and accessible land at the disposal of the Crown in this colony. The area has been estimated at about 2,300,000 acres, of which about 23,000 have been appropriated. Although the agriculture of the 'province is pro gressively increasing, there are yet com paratively few persons exclusively em ployed in it, the population being nearly all engaged in the fisheries.
The Falkland Islands.—The lands in this colony are now open for sale. The mode of sale is the same as that adopted in the Australian colonies. The upset price of country lands is, for the present, 88. per acre. Town lots of half an acre each, and suburban lots of fifty acres each, will be put up at 501. Deposits of par chase-money may be made in this coun try, in the mode prescribed for the Aus tralian colonies, hut the depositors will he entitled to nominate for a free six, instead of four, adult every 100/. deposited.