The plan ■ to provide work would— (1) Keep an! immence anountof money in the coloriy ; now sent out ; (2) would provide work ; for our skilled - w artisans ; (3) would leave openings and provide others for unskilled labourers ; (4) would tend to increase wages or keep them at a steady rate ; and (5) by increasing the num ber of artisans, &c, would thus in crease the markets for k our far mers. The plan of settling the land would — (1) Provide increased openings :for poor .labouring men to settle ; (2) would leave room for other labourers' in the -towns j (3) would increase the revenue- by settlement. in villages alqng the railways — thus the wealth ' and general prosperity of the colony would be largely increased. Immigrants would be attracted, and the ratio per head of taxation would be decreased.' He = would : suggest that as pr-ovisionlhas been made in. this scheme for the " small proportion of poor that would remain, that. all land revenue should 1 go:to construct railways, .roads, &c, thus- opening up the country and bring up bur assets in these-things to the level '.<©£. our, public indebtedness. Thus revenue from these would in a short time pay all interest on loans. On the other hand he held that Major Athinscßi's plan might be summarised as follows : — First — Cumbersome and impracticable ; • secorid-^That it is op posed the- ISTineteeirt-b,

Century civilisation which is to leave" a. man as free as possible to work out his. own destiny. Third — It is demoralis ing to working men iir its principle of compulsion. Fourth — That it does nob, really develop thrift, iv that its prin ciple of compulsion and its distant, benefits will destroy its educational effect. Fifth — It weakens the spirit of" self-reliance in the people. Sixth — It, increases Government patronage by in-, creasing the numbers dependent ori Government, and thus introduces more elements of evil into our system of' government. Seventh-It leaves pover ty, &c, undiminished, in that it leaves, the operating causes untouched. Eighth — It makes no provision for poverty for the next forty-seven years, except in a comparatively few number of cases. These and many other defects ensured the condemnation of Major Atkinson's scheme. 