Prospectus of the Scots New Zealand Land CompanyMatthew, Patrick
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Prospectus of the Scots New Zealand Land Company
Matthew, Patrick
New Zealand -- Emigration and immigration; Scots New Zealand Land Company
A sufficient emigration of the labour-classes would increase the
labour-demand, and raise wages so high, that every one able and willing
to work would obtain a competency for the support of a family, and even
of a parent in infirm old age, in case of necessity; thus cutting up
pauperism by the roots, and leaving the bastiles, the poverty-prisons
in the south of England, untenanted. In the United States of America
nearly all the marriageable people enter the marriage state, and find
a family advantageous to the increase of their wealth and comfort.
This arises from the favourable field for industry, and the social
advantages they enjoy. Nothing hinders Great Britain from enjoying
these, and even greater advantages, but her own stupid and guilty
neglect. In many respects she is equally favourably circumstanced as
America, in some much more favourably. Her climate is better, her
capital beyond comparison greater, her machinery and aids of human
labour and advantages of combined labour vastly superior, her new
unpeopled territory more extensive and more favourably situated for
trade, and equally easily reached. Why, then, should the condition
of the working population of Britain not be as favourable as that of
America? Simply because the field of labour, from our narrow home
territory, dense population, and restrictive trade system, is more
limited in proportion to the labour supply, and that we fail to
profit by our opportunities of extending it. A sufficient emigration
would render it equally, if not more favourable. Let the truly
charitable--those who have the welfare of their suffering countrymen
really at heart, reflect that ignorance is criminal, where knowledge
is within their reach. Let them hasten to devote their exertions and
wealth to purposes of utility, and not waste them in increasing the
very evils they wish to remedy. _Let them promote colonization._
With an overflowing capital, and a population, notwithstanding our
emigration, increasing at present nearly 400,000 annually, and
as things are regulated beyond the means of full subsistence and
labour-demand, Britain is placed under circumstances more favourable
than ever occurred at any former period for carrying the principle of
colonization into effect to its fullest, most salutary extent. The
importance of emigration, as before stated, is proved by the immense
and most advantageous trade we now carry on with the countries we
have colonized; an almost unlimited extent of unoccupied territory is
at our command; a very extensive emigration is necessary to render
a poor-law practicable in Ireland, and to assist the working of the
new poor-law in England (a sufficient emigration would soon render
both unnecessary); the economy of transporting great numbers to
distant countries in health and safety, and with celerity, is nearly
perfected:--all these conspire, in an almost miraculous manner, to
place the destinies of man at the disposal of Britain, and to render
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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