Cape of Good Hope.—Applications for the purchase of Crown lands must be made to the governor, if the lands are situated in the western division ; and to the lieutenant-governor if in the eastern division of the province. The application must pass through the surveyor-general to the land board, and if the land be un surveyed, the applicant must deposit an amount equal to the probable expense of inspection and survey. If on inspection it be decided that the land ought not to be alienated, the deposit for survey will be returned ; otherwise, the land will be surveyed and offered for sale at public auction. Should the applicant not be come the purchaser at the sale, he will be entitled to a return of the preliminary expenses, which must in that case be borne by the actual purchaser ; but should the lands be not then sold, the de posit will be retained until they are sold. The upset price will in no case be less than 2s. per acre, and should it become necessary to ascertain the amount which ought to be demanded for lands under peculiar circumstances, such amount is to be ascertained by valuation, and made the upset price at auction.
Ceylon.— In this colony the Crown lands are sold by auction, at an upset price, which is to be fixed by the go vernor, but which is not to be less than I/. per acre. Before being put up to auction, the lands are surveyed by the government, and duly advertised.
Hong Kong.—The Crown lands will not be alienated in perpetuity, but let on leases, which are to be offered for sale at public auction. The duration of the leases will not exceed 21 years for coun try lands ; but land for building pur poses will be let on leases for 75 years, not renewable of right, but at the option of the government, and on the holder's paying an increased rent. Powers will be reserved, when necessary, for regu lating the character of the buildings to be erected in particular situations.
The rent to be paid for lands designated as marine, town, or suburban lots, will be determined exclusively by public auction ; but leases of country lots, if they have been once exposed to auction and not sold, may be afterwards sold by private agree ment at the upset price.
The governor will decide whether there is sufficient demand to tali for public sales at fixed periods, or whether the leases should only be advertised and brought into the market as they may be applied for.
The colonies in which military and naval officers are allowed privileges in the acquisition of public lands are the following :—New South Wales, Van Die men's Land, South Australia, Western Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton, the only pro vince in North America where privileges are still allowed. In the different Aus tralian settlements, and in Ceylon, land is disposed of by sale only ; but officers purchasing land are allowed a remission of the purchase-money. Thus field-officers
of twenty-five years' service and upwards are entitled to a remission of 3001. ; and in proportion for different periods of service and according to the rank of the officer. Subalterns of seven years' service and upwards are entitled to a remission of 1001.; but subalterns under seven years standing are not entitled to any remission in the purchase of land. Regimental staff officers and medical officers of the army and navy are allowed the benefit of this rule.
In Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, allot ments of land are granted to officers or the following scale and conditions, viz.— To a lieutenant-colonel, 1200 acres ; to e major, 1000 acres ; to a captain, 800 acres to a subaltern, 500 acres. Military chap lains, commissariat officers, and officer of any of the civil departments of the army ; pursers, chaplains, midshipmen warrant officers of every description, and officers of any of the civil departments of the navy, are not allowed any privilege in respect of land. Although member of these classes may have been admitted formerly, and under different circum stances, they are now excluded. Mate in the royal navy rank with ensigns it the army, and mates of three years' stand. ing with lieutenants in the army, and an entitled respectively to corresponding pri vileges in the acquisition of lands.
Australian Colonies and New Zealand —These colonies are the principal field fol the operations of the Land and Emigre tion Commissioners, as it is in them thal the principle of devoting the proceeds of the sale of waste lands to emigration if capable of application on a large scale, In the colony of New South Wales the sales of land from 1831 to 1842 inclusive realized the sum of 1,090,5831., out of which 951,2411., or more than 87 pet cent., was expended on immigration. In 1840 land was sold in the Port Philir district which produced 218,020/. Is 1843, when the colony of New South Wales was in a very depressed state, the sum arising from the sale of land was only 11,030/. Immigration is therefore under a self-regulating principle: whet capital is abundant, and purchases of land are made on a large scale, a fund is sup plied for introducing labourers ; and when the fund from the sale of land di• minishes, a check is given to the intro. duction of redundant labour. In South Australia, from 1835 to 1840 inclusive, land was sold to the amount of 272,878/ In Western Australia there is scarcely any revenue from public lands, in cense quence of the large grants of land which were made to individuals when the co lony was established.