The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-19 00:00:00

TRANSPORTATION BILL.

After a short conversation in a low tone, across the
table, between the Lord Chancellor, Lord St. Leonards,
and the Duke of Newcastle, the house went into com-
mittee on this bill.

Clauses 1 to 4 were agreed to.
On clause 4,
The LORD CHANCELLOR explained that the
object of the clause was to substitute for the punishment
of seven years' transportation a punishment of fouryears'
penal servitude, which was considered to be practically
the same in extent, because, though the sentence of
transportation was nominally for seven years, the con-
vict was sent to prison for a year and a half or two years,
and afterwards was sent to labour at one of the convict
establishments.

The clause was agreed to, as were clauses up to 8.
On clause 8,

The LORD CHANCELLOR explained the object of
the clause, which was to provide work at one of the
public establishments at Gospor:;, or Portland Island, or
elsewhere, after the convict had left prison, so that he
might not be compelled to go back to his old haunts,
and might have an inducement to behave himself well.
In order that they should not come into competition
with the labourers in the district, the work imposed
upon them would be harder, and the wages smaller, than
was imposed on others. The convicted thieves of Lon-
don, for instance, would not be permitted to come with-
in a certain distance of the metropolis. He hoped that
when these persons were for some time employed in the
public works that they would be received back into
society as reformed or partially reformed characters. He
was not insane enough to suppose that the system would
effect all that they wished, but it was the best that,
under the circumstances, suggested itself to the Govern-
ment, and he 'trusted that it would to some extent
answer the object they hr,d in view.
The Earl of HARROWBY thought that it would be
by no means desirable to accumulate large bodies of con-
victs in particular localities. He thought the inhabi-
tants of such districts would complain very loudly of
such a thing. He would suggest that the convicts be
sent out of the country, and that a certain punishment
be imposed upon them if they returned.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that the clause
was not constructed with the view of compelling large
aggregations of convicts in particular localities, but it
was necessary, when they were driven from prison, that
they should be furnished with the means of existence, so
.as to give them every possible motive for seeking an im-
proved mode of existence in other parts of the country
than those which had been the haunts of their crimes.ig
After a few words from the Earl of CHICHESTER,
which were inaudible,

The Earl of HARDWICKE said they would place
the localities in this country, where these convicts were
sent, in the same position that they placed the colonies,
and the same outcry would be raised. His conviction
was that the scheme would utterly fail.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said the object was not
to confine them to any locality, but that no one should
come out of prison and say that he was not able 4o ob-
t.in work. After these persons were employed for some
-time on public works, he thought it was extremely pro-
bable--looking to the want of labour which at present
existed—that other persons would seek their labour, and
that they would he brought back into society. If they
were to expatriate these persons, other counties would
have reason to complain that the vice engendered here
had been thrown upon them. (Hear, hear.)
The Earl of ELLENDOROUGH said that be thought
the measure for a uniform system of police throughout
ri pa ssu with this measure,
otgf4 pa
se gentlemen who issued from
incipient virtue would require to
the police, and that this measure
tbtf
olhei
ree
closely
isusebnol
yent
lriwe
ivanoetudeaghhs
ett
athd
by
att
eto
of great humanity would depend very much for its suc-
cess on the strength with which they exercised their
batons. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Whilst legislating
for the amelioration of those who committed crime, they
ought to take into their consideration that yet uncon-
taminated portion of society who might be affected by
what they were now attempting to carry into operation.
After a few words from the Duke of BUCCLEUCH, t'ie
clause was agreed to, as were the other clauses of the
bill.

BNEDIIA .ANR SALT,E Ppresented
s eTnAt
eXd , a 8L c .
The Earl
petition
from
the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, praying that the
l ofEALI "H
monopoly of salt exercised by the East India Company
might be abolished, but that, should it be considered
still expedient to levy a tax on this necessary of life, it
should be in such a form as to press less heavily on the
poor of India than the present system of taxation. The
noble lord said he should confine his observations prin-
cipally to the operation of the tax in Madras. Under
the native Government the tax was 245. 6d. the gass,
or 50 per cent. on the price. In 1806 the British
Government raised it to 31. ss. the gass ; it was subse-
quently raised to 71., 101., and in 1844 to the enormous
sum of la. The consequence was the consumption was
entirely stopped ; the Government was obliged to re-
duce the lax to 121., at which sum it remained. The
Government regulated the quantity of salt to be produced,
ard continued the land tax at its maximum. The
price of salt in Bengal was enhanced by a variety of
causes, natural and artificial. The noble lord then de-
scribed the process of the manufacture of salt and the
difficulties which the manufacturers had to contend with.
Their machinery was very rude, compared with that in
use in Cheshire. It was consequently impossible for
them to compete with the salt of this country, or even
that of Madras or Bombay. He proposed -that the
manufacture of salt in Bombay should be prohibited, as
we prohibited the manufacture of tobacco in this coun-
try. He would reduce the duty to one-half, and im-
pose a fixed duty on the salt imported from this country
and other places. The salt produced on the Malabar
coast and other places he would free from duty. Ile
proposed that the change should be gradual, as in the
case of our tea-duties. Of the five factories in Calcutta,
one had fallen a victim to the imported salt. The la-
bourers were in a partial state of slavery at the present
moment, but they would derive the greatest relief from
the cultivation of the neighbouring Jungle. The cost of
the agencies was serious—from 8,0001. to 10,0001. a
year. He had another petition from East Indians of
Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay, resident in London,
complaining of the grievances under which they and
the community to which they belonged laboured in the
existing state of the law. They especially complained
of the operation of the 87th clause of the late Charter
Act, notwithstanding which natives were still excluded
from office. Many of these were persons of eminence
in medicine and at the bar, and possessed an education

equal to that of the members of their lordships' house.
The noble lord quoted the testimony of Colonel Steven-
son, Colonel James Skinner, and other officers, as to
the efficiency and economy of the corps of irregular
cavalry which bad been established in India, and referred
in particular to the fr:owess of one Major Nairn, who
he said was in the habit of attacking ~.gers. Lord Met-
calfe had deprecated the existence of diffe2ent classes in
India, and he urged the necessity of the extension of
equal rights to all. He quoted this ;n answer to some
depreciatory evidence which had been given before their
lordships' committee as a character of the natives.