The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-21 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1858.

Transportation to Van Diemen's Land has been
abolished, and the transmission of convicts to any
of our Australian colonies is only to be con-
tinued for a limited time, and to Western Austra-
lia exclusively. This is as it should be. The
Duke of NEWCASTLE has entitled himself to the
thanks of our brethren at the Antipodes for the
removal of the grievance under which they so
long suffered, and the tardy recognition of their
just demands. There was no procrastination or
indecision to be complained of on his part. And the
determination at which he arrived, and which was
so promptly and decisively announced, affords the
best auguries for the future administration, by
the Noble Duke, of the affairs of the important
department over which he presides.
While thus rendering the honour to which the
Noble Secretary is so eminently entitled, it is but
an act of simple justice to state that his prede-
cessor, Sir JOHN PAKINGTON, had arrived at a
like decision, and that, had the Right Hon.
Baronet remained in office, a similar determination
would ere this time have been communicated to
Parliament and the country. We do not make
this statement for the purpose of disparaging the
Duke of NEWCASTLE, or impairing the credit to
which he is entitled for his just and po-
litic resolution. We have, unfortunately, known
Colonial Ministers who exhibited a perverse
and obstinate determination to accede to no ap-
plication, however reasonable, and to reverse
every politic arrangement of their predecessors.
Our Australian fellow-subjects may rejoice at
finding that the disposition of the Noble Duke
is so very different. But, while bestowing the
thanks and gratitude fairly due to him by whom
the good work has been consummated, we should
not forget the others who lent efficient aid to the
completion of the edifice. Sir Jo$x
I),ARINGTON
then, who first bestowed an attentive and unpre-
judiced consideration upon the complaints of the
Tasmanians, is entitled to participate in the laurels
acquired by his noble successor, who wisely and
judiciously carried out the project on which he
had resolved. But the chief credit, after all, is
due to 141 r. JOHN C. KING, the efficient
and energetic' agent of the colony, to whose
incessant and judicious exertions, and vigorous
and unanswerable denunciations of th'e iniquitous
system, may be attributed the cessation of the
polluting stream of crime—the fatal gift of the
mother country to its promising offspring. We
have long since alluded to the beneficial labours
of this gentleman, and rejoice to find that the
sound truths to which he gave utterance have at
length prevailed—that the good cause has achieved
ao signal a triumph.
Now that the victory has been accomplished_
that tardy justice has been rendered to our brethren
—the only thing that can create astonishment will be

that—we will not call it the boon, but—the simple
act of justice was so long delayed. Why should
we have continued for so many years to send the
outcasts of society, those marked with the inde-
lible brands of crime to a fair and promising de-
pendency, which only required judicious treatment
to render it one of the brightest gems in the Im-
perial diadem ? If our object had been to foster
the bad passions—to bring into one narrow com-
munity all the crimes and vices that have de-
graded, and still degrade humanity—to congre-
gate the evil demons, still permitted to lead
mankind astray—in fact, to create a " hell upon
earth," ' we could not have pursued a course
more likely to terminate in such a result. The
most accomplished villany the most brutal
insensibility were combined together to
create a moral deformity. The polished and
unscrupulous swindler and the .clever forger were
associated with burglars and robbers, with offen-
ders of the deepest dye, who, but for the humane
alterations in the criminal code effected under the
auspices of Sir ROBERT PEEL, would have expiated
their atrocities on the scaffold ; and the stupid
country yokel, who had not sufficient fortitude to
resist his love for hares or pheasants, was placed
under such tuition until he rivalled his teachers,
and when the opportunity occurred was prepared
to show how much he had profited by their in-
structions.

Such were the gifts we bestowed on our
children. , They asked for assistance; they of-
fered remunerative employment to all that we could
send—plenty and abundance to those who at home
had only experienced starvation and destitution,
and whose former privationi would. only bestow
an additional zest to the enjoyment of the unwonted
comforts of their new home. But in place of a
blessing we gave them a curse—in place of healthy,
well-disposed labourers, able and willing to work, and
desirous of acting justlytowards their emplopers, we
sent the very outcasts of society—those whose
repeated. offences and notorious characters taught
`.their Judges that reformation was hopeless
—that the noxious weed should be excerpted
from the wholesome crop. We sent these
wretched criminals in numbers sufficient to ex-
ceed the " true men," and then wondered at the
importunacy of those who thought proper to com-
plain of the system which, in ar wisdom, We
deemed expedient. This is now happily altered,
but ample reparation is due to the sufferers.
Ancient Rome might have become a mighty em-
pire from a degraded and criminal stock, but there
was not a constant accession of crime—a conti-
nued increase to the convict population of men
who must necessarily taint and corrupt every
honourable feeling in the hearts of those with
whom they were associating.
In another part of our impression will be found
a very able article on the subject which we haVe
extracted from the Times, and which clearly points
out the evils to which we have alluded. The
matter is there placed in the clearest light, and We
would earnestly invite public attention theretb.
An excellent article from a respected weekly con-
temporary—the Observer—will also be found well
worthy of perusal, for although it does not
allude to the penal part of the subject, it so
clearly points out the almost miraculous na-
tural advantages of our Australian dependencies,
as to show in the strongest light the injustice and
impropriety of continuing a system fraught with
so many inconveniences to the colony, and practi-
cally holding out a premium to vice in this coun-
try. The discoveries of coal the true
black diamond the source of national
wealth greater far than the most preci-
ous metals, and which will be fully and fairly
worked by an influential company, confirms the
most sanguine anticipations that can be entertained
as to the future prospects of the colony, now that
the plague-spot, the lowering cloud, has been
banished from her political horizon.

An ancient successor of the Apostles, one in-
deed ordained by PAITT, himself, one to whom
Episcopalians have always referred as the Right
Rev. TIMOTHY, Bishop of Ephesus, was enjoined
in a part of the Apostolic charge, to " preach the
word, and to be instant in season and out of sea-
son." We know not to what extent the Right
Rev. HENRY, Bishop of Exeter, obeys this last
clause in regard to preaching; but we are quite
sure he most strenuously acts upon it as Colonial
Church-monger. In 1840, he was "instant out of
season," frustrating by legal quibbles an Act which
gave the Episcopal Reformed Church in Canada
half the proceeds of the Clergy Reserves, although
it was but a small minority, and the other half
was to be divided among the other more numerous
sects ; he was " instant out of season," enforcing
such modifications as have kept the quarrel alive
from that time to this ; and now, again, this
" stormy petrel" of the Church and the Colonies,
is " instant out of season" anticipating most un-
seasonably, a bill not yet before the House of
Lords, and prognosticating an odious tempest.
HENRY of Exeter must be a holy man ; he
could not otherwise have that epithet " godless"
for ever on his sacred lips. " Godless" are all
the multitude of emigrants who preferred, Bishop-
less, to worship their GOD. "No Bishop, no
King," said KING JAMES. "No Bishop, no GoD,"
says HENRY. " Godless," too, are all the purposes
to which money can be applied if it be diverted
from hierarchical pockets ; reminding us of ano-
ther passage in the apostolical charge to the first
Right Rev. of Ephesus,—which adverts to those
who thought " gain godliness." True, the clergy
of that creed he of Ephesus was enjoined to shun
—but the practice of Bishops in " the three first
centuries," the favourite code at Exeter—reversed
the decision of PAUL ; and now godliness is mea-
sured by the amount of clerical X. s. d.—ungod-
liness by the amount of secular £s. d. We
should suggest that the unmeaning epithet reve-
rend be dropped, and that the formula henceforth.
be, the Right Godly HENRY, &c., &c. His Lord-
ship applies his episcopal standard of godliness,
we suppose, in speaking of " the Colonists." He
repeatedly speaks of them as if there were no
other Colonists than those opposed to the Govern-
ment propositions ; should the godless (i. e.,
Bishop-less) Independents, Freechurchmen, Me-
thodists, Baptists, and the rest, remind the Bishop
that they are Christians, or, at least, men, he
would no doubt rejoin in the words of MACBETH—
" Aye, in the catalogue, ye go for men ;
As hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves are 'cleped
All by the name of dogs."

His Lordship's ignoring, however, all other
Christians, or men, but the episcopally and, there-
fore, godly-minded, makes his logic as against the
proposed Bill, very bad. The Bill merely intrusts
the whole affair to the Colonists. If they therefore
be opposed to secularisation, and would even pray
to have such power withheld from them, why need
the worthy Bishop fear for the clerical gold ?
This question may be asked of all who would draw
a hostile argument from the supposed preference
of the colonists for present arrangements. If
such be their preference, why this English oppo-
sition ? They are " good and safe men." If, on
the contrary, these ignored men compose the great
majority, what folly to wish, by an intermeddling
imperial Act, to override the knowledge and
wishes of the colonists. Let the Bishops and the
House of Lords be assured that they cannot
modify or curtail the proposed measure, except to
perpetuate strife. •.A single clause which the colo-
nists disapprove, will be a sore place till it is re-
pealed, and will diminish the heartiness of colonial
loyalty. It may even hasten a separation.
The particulars of the Bill are not yet before
us, but we are bound to accord unreserved praise
to Mr. P. PEEL and the Government, for all that
was stated by them on Tuesday night. They
took a consistent and manly view of the rights of
the Colonies. Such principles as they defended
would, if carried out, insure a substantial union
in some form between England and her present
dependencies asllong as England herself remains
what she is. Under a system of perfect Free
Trade, and of thoroughly self-goyerrunent, it is
not easy to conceive of our colonies wishing to
break an imperial connexion which guarantees their
safety from hostile attack, while it leaves them free
to the most prosperous self-development. We gave
so lately (see The Sun of December 14th) a clear
history of the matter that our readers will not i