passages for and live by Government as will appear effectual, will Government be at 1791 expense of conveying settlers to the colony of New South Wales, Free either in ships provided by Government or allow to the subscriber emigrants. or his assigns the sum of £25 for every free person landed in the colony? Will Government find tools and implements of hus- Tools, seeds bandry and utensils necessary for the settlers on their arrival, stock. with seed to sow and plant, and fruit-trees of all kinds suited to the climate, with a supply of hogs, sheep, and cattle and poultry necessary for a stock? Give the settlers such a number of convict servants, free of all expence, as they shall be able to manage, such Convict servants to be continued in succession to the settlers for life, and not less than ten servants to each family or setler who shall be of full age to act for him or herself, and to maintain compleatly every such setler and their servants for two years at least after the arrival of such setlers in the colony, and grant, free of all expence and quit-rents and charges, not less than five hundred acres of Land grants. land, of which so much to be near the seat of Government as the Gov't can reasonably allow; and also a further grant of larger tracts of land in such other places as the setlers may locate for themselves, eaqually free of expence and quit-rents? servants. Will Government allow the subscriber or his assigns £20 for Bonuses on importation. every head of cattle imported into the colony, £5 for every sheep, and £20 for every ass so imported; also £2 2s. for every barrel of American fine flour, and £5 for every barrel of pork imported into the colony for public use? The money to be paid in Spanish mill'd dollars, at 4s. 6d. each, or by bills on the British Treasury, at the option of the person receiving. in building. Government to assist the setlers in puting up a house for each Assistance family, and also to assist the subscriber or his assigns to build a grist and saw mill, dig the race, and grant such a situation and tract of land free as will be suitable for that purpose. JOHN SUTTON. bonuses. N.B.-Will Government give six shillings sterling pr. bushel for Further any quantity of Indian corn imported into the colony, or Indian corn meal, well dried to keep, or pr. hundred pounds weight of ship buiscuit, and to accept the delivery of all and every article as compleat as soon as the vessels conveying the same shall come to anchor in the harbour of the settlement, the landing to be intirely at the risk and expence of Government. JOHN SUTTON TO UNDER SECRETARY KING. * restated. THOU being so busy, it is not likely I can see thee to-day. Have Proposals inclos'd a paper similar to that given to Evan Nepean, only it is more specific. I hope thou will give it a proper sanction, and it will obveate any future disappointments. And if it be agreable to let me have any terms to carry persons, or provisions live or † And to Mr. Dundas. Ante, p. 580. 1791 Land and convict servants. mainten ance. dead, I believe I can do it as low and more beneficial to the colony than it has hitherto been done. I will call in two or three days for thy opinion. 2nd day of the week. [Enclosure.] I am, &c., JOHN SUTTON. JOHN SUTTON TO UNDER SECRETARY KING.* JOHN SUTTON proposing, with others, to settle at New South Wales, it is agreed that himself and all other persons whom he may take with him, or send there as setlers, shall be taken at the expence of Goverment, shall have not less than' five hundred acres of land granted and laid out free of all expence or quit-rent whatever, and each family or person to have as many convicts given them for servants, free of expence, as they can properly manage; John Sutton and each of his sons to have not less than thirty of those servants, which they shall chuse, for and dureing the term of their lives, the said servants to be supplied by others in succession as their terms may expire. All the said setlers and their servants to be maintain'd by Gover'ment for at least two Two years' years after their arrival at the said colony of New South Wales, or for a longer term if, from any accident, crops sho'd fail for that time. Goverment shall supply the setlers with all utensals and Tools, seeds, tools needfull for the settlement and cultivation of the ground; also with suffitient seeds of all kinds suitable to sow or plant, all sorts of trees suited to the climate, especially, apple, pear, peach, vine, olive, white mulberry, leman, orange, and cotton seed; also a stock of fowls and other poultry to begin with, two sows, one Live stock. boar, six sheep free of expence, two or three cows and two horses, at the price they may cost where taken from, to be paid for at the option of the setlers in the course of six years in specie or produce at the price such produce may sell for at the time of payment. Goverment is to supply the setlers with salt gratis untill a market shall be established to procure it by exchange for the produce of the colony. Goverment shall further grant to said settlers such further tracts of land as they may respectively discover, survey and lay out, free of expence and quit-rent, the same, Reward for not exceeding twenty thousand acres in one tract. The intended fruit trees. Salt. discoveries. setlers shall be convey'd in the first ships which shall sail for that colony after three months' notice shall be given of their intention to migrate to the said colony, such notice to be left at the Secretary of State's office. Goverment shall also provide the setlers when they arrive at the colony with suffitient shelter untill each Temporary family shall be able to put up a temporary house for their accomodation. And in case John Sutton, or any of the setlers jointly with him, shall undertake to erect any mill or mills for accommo dation. * The questions submitted to Mr. Dundas in the previous letter were embodied, with some modifications, in the form of a draft proposal which was sent by Sutton to Under Secretary King, who had taken Nepean's place at the Home Office during the latter's visit to the West Indies. grist, sawing timber, or other purposes, Goverment shall assist 1791 with labourers, in order to forward and compleat the same, and him or them shall have liberty to locate and hold in fee-simple any quantity of land and any stream of water he or they may Land think suitable which may not be previously located or dispos'd on by grant otherwise. JOHN SUTTON TO UNDER SECRETARY KING. Fr'd. King, grants. Inclosed is names of persons mentioned. Some of them, from some causes which has arisen, I wo'd dis'prove of sending, and certainly nothing ought to be allowed to any except they go. As many impediments has come in the way of this business, I will to-morrow (if not prevented) submit a paper to thee which A paper to will put it in a clearer way, without future difficulty on any side mitted. or risk of loss, and hope thou will give me in writing (as thou promis'd) what will be allow'd to me on my orders for each setler landed in the settlement. I am, in truth, thy friend, 6 day of the week at noon. JOHN SUTTON. MEMORANDUM REGARDING SUTTON'S PROPOSALS.* be sub Govern As it may be expected the persons who may be willing to migrate to New South Wales can in general only be persons possessing little property, it will therefore be needful for Government to Duty of take the first settlers (sayf familys) to that country, 'ment. and grant them lands free of cost, at least 500 acres for each person, to give them support in provisions until such time as a crop can be got in (or say for two years after they arrive there), Government to give seed to the settlers, particularly Indian corn, as it is the most proper grain to cultivate in that climate, especially in a woody country and sandy light soil, each family to be furnished with a certain number of tools, as hoes, spades, axes, &c.; each family to have the assistance of such a number of convicts as may be thought consistent with the situation and ability of each family to govern and employ properly, the convicts Convict to be supported by the rations of Government until such time as servants. the crops be got in sufficient for the settlers to support them. The first settlers to have the use of convicts as they may arrive there to replace in succession those whose times expire during such settlers' lives. - From the impossibility of the new settlers procuring stock of Live stock. their own, it will be necessary to give each settler one sow and boar at least, with three sheep, and such fowls as may be needful to put them in stock. Also, it will be needful for Government to * This memorandum, explaining and justifying the proposals which had been made by Sutton was submitted to the Government. It was written apparently by someone on Sutton's behalf. + Blank in MS. The number was afterwards fixed at 15. See Dundas to Phillip, post, p. 589. 1791 procure horses and cattle to supply the settlers with at reasonable prices, to be paid in cash or grain, at the option of the settlers, in three years. And it would be quite necessary for Government Log houses. to give assistance for putting up log houses for the immediate accommodations of the settlers at their respective settlements to prevent that sickness they might otherwise be liable to. Mills. Salt. Seeds and plants. Constitu tion. As mills are absolutely necessary, it will be incumbent on Government either to build a grist and saw-mill, to be as convenient as possible to the settlers, or to give effectual assistance toward the immediate execution of such mill to some one or more settlers as are willing and able to take from hence materials for that purpose. Salt being an indispensible article, it will be necessary for Government to supply the settlers therewith until it can be procured plentifully by other means. The settlers should be supplied with seeds of different kinds and trees for food such as are suited to the climate, more particularly apples and peaches, with vines and olives and the white mulberry. Government should establish such a constitution in civil matters for the use of free settlers as may prevent any arbitrary proceeding in the Governors or anarchy in the governed, and to fix its principles so as to grow into use as the country may settle, which will make the minds of the settlers familiar therewith, and prevent uneasiness at any new regulations. It will also be necessary for the prosperity of the colony to No slavery. prevent for ever the introduction of slavery, or holding of innocent men and women and their innocent descendants in perpetual bondage, by having it established that no person shall continue bound as a servant unto a greater age than twenty-one years without his or her consent being publicly given after the servant attains the age of fourteen, and then for not more than ten years after such consent being given; and also that no person (not a convict) imported into that colony shall be a servant for a longer time than ten years after they arrive, or until they arrive at the age of twenty-one, if they should not be at that age after ten years' service, except a valuable consideration shall appear to have been received by the servant for a longer term. Limited service. Rewards for discoveries. Conditions. It will always be expected by the persons who migrate to that country that in case they or any of them should find out any suitable tracts of lands, they are to have further grants of such lands so discovered in such large tracts as may be of use to the future settlement of their families or friends, whom they may expect to arrive in that country. Recapitulation. Conditions* on which Mr. Sutton engaged to go out to New South Wales with his associates, consisting, as he *These conditions are much less exacting than those originally proposed. They appear to have been agreed to by the Government, but owing to the delay which took place in getting a ship ready and other causes, the arrangement was not carried out. supposed, of about fifteen families:-Passage to be provided by Government; lands to be granted free of expence; to have an assortment of tools and implements out of the public stores; to have two years' provisions; the service of convicts to be assigned to them free of expence; such convicts to have two years' rations and one year's clothing. THE RIGHT HON. HENRY DUNDAS TO GOVERNOR PHILLIP. Sir, Whitehall, 10 January, 1792. Your letters to Lord Grenville of the date and numbers mentioned in the margin,* forwarded by the way of China, have been received,† and with their several inclosures have been laid before the King. 1791 Dec. 1792 10 Jan. Guardian. His Majesty's servants cannot but be aware of the unpleasant Loss of the effects experienced in the settlements from the accident which happened to the Guardian, and how much that unfortunate disaster must have retarded the progress of the settlements. It will, however, be a satisfaction to you to know that considering the inconveniences with which you have had to struggle, they are perfectly satisfied that everything has been done by you which could, under such circumstances, be reasonably expected. The settlement at Rose Hill promises soon to make a return for the labour Rose Hill. which has been bestowed. From what you represent of its fertility, I perfectly agree with you that it would have been the most eligible spot for the first settlement; but circumstanced as you originally were, disappointed in your expectations respecting Botany Bay, and without any sort of information of the nature of the country, it could hardly have been expected that you would A good have made a more judicious choice than you have done, especially when the advantages which must always be derived from a port so capacious and secure as Port Jackson are considered. choice. With respect to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and such Settlers. convicts as propose to become settlers, the time for which they were transported being expired, his Majesty's servants do not think it either adviseable or necessary to limit you to any given number of convicts to be assigned to individuals so widely differing Assignment in situation of life, character, and description; but from the opinion which they entertain of your prudence and discretion, they leave you to decide upon a point which must in a great degree be governed by your knowledge of the character and ability of those to whom convicts are to be assigned. of convicts. The more convicts that can be properly disposed of in this manner, I am inclined to think, the better. In like manner the quantity of provisions necessary to be granted to persons becoming for settlers. *1-June 14, 1790; 2-June 14, 1790; 3-June 17, 1790; 4-June 20, 1790; 5-June 25, 1790; 6-July 2, 1790; 7-July 13, 1790; 8-July 14, 1790; 9-July 14, 1790; 10-July 17, 1790. † Nearly eighteen months after they were despatched. Provisions |
