The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-05 00:00:00

TRABSPORTATION.

This morning was issued to parliament the
report of the select committee appointed to inquire into
the present system of transportation, its utility, economy,
and effect upon o3lonisation, and whether any improve-
manta could be effected therein. The committee report :
" That, since the discontinuance of transportation to
New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land and the substi-
tution of 'sentences of penal servitude for those of trans.
portation, the number and duration of such sentences have
greatly dec ceased ; the *neap annual number of sentences
ut transportation in the three jean, 1850 to 1852 inclusive,
having been 4,962, all of which were for periods of seven
years and upwsrds ; and the avenge annual number of
sentences of penal servitude, in the three years 1858 to
1860 inclusive, 2,723, of which only 515 were for periods
exeseding six jean."

The committee state that the accommodation for male
prisoners in the penal establishments (including Bermuda
and Gibraltar), sad the number of rrisoners in those este!).
Hamm* at the date of the last returns, were respectively
12,480 and 8,869, showing a deficiency of 3,61.1. The num-
ber of male prisoners received into the penal establishmente
of the United Kingdom during the three years 1858 to
1860 was, in 1868, 2,527, in 1859, 2,325, and in 1860, 2,403,
snaking • total of 7,255. The number of male prisoners
dim:barged from those establishment" during the
some periods, otherwise than by transportation or removal
to Western Australia, Bermuda, and Gibraltar (viz., by
expiration of sentence, on ticket of license, by pardon,
death, ice.), was in 1858, 3,083 ; in 1859, 2,487 ; sad in
1860, 2,985 ; making a total of 8.555. During those years
no prisoners had been removed from Ireland to any
penal establishment beyond the sees. The number

irensported from Great Britain was : To Western Anatrelia,
in 1858, 530 ; in 1859, 224 ; in 1890, 296 ; to Bermuda, in
18:,8, 640; in 1859, 281; in 181304 DODO ; to Gibraltar, in
1858, none ; in 1869, 140 ;in 1860, none. Great difficulty
was axperimmed in obtaining • sufficient number of suit-
able priemson for the only convict ship despatched
in 1860, and for this purpose it became necessary to
depart from the established regulations. The committee
doubted whether the plan of sending convicts to Bermuda
and Gibraltar, employing them on public works there, and
bringing them back to be discharged in this country was
advantassous to the convicts or the country. Tho gross
charge for transportation and for the penal establishments
abroad if kept ep at the same complement as in
1858-9 was estimated at—for Western Australia, 40,00111.
per annum ; for Bermuda, 65,0001. ' • for Gibraltar, 35,0C31..;
total, 180,0001. After stating that the total number of eon. '
vices, not being expired. or conditionally pardoned men, in
the colony of Western Australia, at the date of the last re-
turns, the 30th Juoe, 1860, was 2,432, of whom 774 were
maintained by government, and 1.658 held tickets of leave,
the report concluded with the following resolutions:
"That the inhabitants of the other Australian colonies
appear desirous that transportation to any pert
of Australia should be abandoned, and some of the
legislatures have
pe uses tumid laws with the object of pre.
r;unsiti.sZia f inghnrweithion their limits ; tut thern
committee have not sufficient facts in evidence upon which
they can come to the conclusion that convicts from Western
Australia have, since the pealing of those laws, seriously
affected any other Australian colony ; while it is proved
that many who went as convicts to Weetern Australia are
now leading lives of honest industry there, and have raised
themselves to a position of independence. That while, on
the one band, the committee have not thought it their
duty to take evidence as to any possible changes for
the purpose of increasing the supply of convict
labour to Western Australia, on the other, they do not
think it advisable to interfere with the present arrangements
for yaneYsriatics to that colony, at • time when the penal
MUM Übe IJaited Kingdom is still in an unsettled state,
when the peed establishments at Bermuda and Gibraltar
may sot be pormaneot, and when Western Australia is
sexless to receive sock number of omelets as this country
may from time to time be able to send there. That trans-
portation to Welters Australia cannot initeelf belooked upon
as a pasishment second only to death ; but may still be
available, to the limited extent to which it is now reduced,
se a made of ultimate discharge or disposal of pri-
mma • or even ss • ficsal stage of mummies
allevietion of punishment, in the first past. undergone in
bud labia, es pall& works, er in prisons. That the trans-
portation d tomb primers has been abandoned for many
pme, and the committee have not deemed it neeentery to
• lardn isle Bk. =Nut.'