The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-04 00:00:00

expiration of his sentence. The effect of the new system,
!hough an improvement, was far from satisfactory, a
few months after the introduction of this system into
uistressi
Diemen 's Land, the Governor gave a most
ng account of the situation of that colony
ari4
ming from the generally impoverished state of the
e°ltrY• The Right Hon. Baronet then proceeded to
read at considerable length the report of the governor
neon that subject). Other papers were also laid upon
the table of the House which would fully bear out the
statements of that gentleman. Upon the earnest solici-
tations of the colonists a large amount of money was
advanced from the Treasury to meet the demands thus
made upon the colonists by the large influx of the trans-
Ports from this country. With respect to the moral con-
dition of the colony he could not do better than read a
letter on that subject, addressed to Lord Stanley when
'n office, setting forth the miserable condition of the
People in that respect. The subject was maturely con-
ered I,
in I, - ey )fir, Gladstone, who succeeded Lord Stanley
it
his office at the head of the colonial department, and
4 letter addressed by that Gentleman to the then
Grab. of State for the Home Department (Sir J.
rs also setting forth in strong teems the moral
4idiels
tion of the convict population of Van Diemen's
°d• What then was the condition in which the
ereaent Government were placed when they entered
!toffice? It had been recommended by his predecessorsd
at the system of transportation to Van Diemen's Lan
rl.o° Oake suspended for a period of two years, leaving
h.lsland as the only place to which convicts from.
'4 country were to be sent. This, of course, entailed
;Pon; the Government the necessity of adopting some
measure to provide employment for the mass of
teearicts thus thrown upon the bands of the Govern-
e °t• The Government gave the most anxious,
ibe;;sideration to the subject, and the Government felt
e. '4Y convinced of the necessity of breaking up as speedily
17, Possible the criminal establishment at Norfolk
''efused, and the utter impossibility of renewing the se s-
n.at the expiration of the ten years, as proposed by
fully'a?late Government The papers laid before the Hours:
spear, bore out the opinion of the Government in this -
Coest; Ile would advert to the report of the Legislative
the— c't Van Diemen's Land, presented to the House on
f
trans leth of March, upon the subject of the resumption o teatrisPortation to that country. (The Right Hon. Baro-
re then. Proceeded to read various extracts from the
at,:stopao,rt referredperaftnt to, all of which tended to show
sue impro
Y of the resumption of the sy-
g against it, and denouncing it
ZLZ„.„ raost demoralising system, and also expressing re-
,that the Government at home were still disposed to
ititnie the detestable and pestilential system). The
toeLetrljong t
anlßaronetey also read a letter from Mr, Pitcairn
eeect.
upon the same subject to the same
the a, Re thought therefore, that these fully merited idea I`llo.Ption of
then the course proposed on the present occa-
Ile ali),o'ue Government for the remedy of these. evils.ena
Land to ree,ad a letter from the Bishop of Van Diemen's
cranes ordlGrey, setting forth that the most fearful
iefo Prevailed in the colony from the want of proper
the rtGnatclY discipline. He now came to the plan which
the ~, vernraent proposed—that the just portion of
couetraai punishment should be passed in
.this
tild thY' °r, at least, at no great distance from
hit ;
4,racter, and should be of a strictly reformatory_c a-
eeretit that when they were sent to the penal sot-
Th s that probatipapers should be given to them.
/ailed Vstent they en Pape fie
the eY Proposed to adopt was that which pre-
seat to entonville prison—the majority would be
ref ,„ Australian colonies, and he trusted that the
1)47a,,0!•y discipline to which they would be subjected
evil wil'z'eking sent abroad would prevent much of the
then le" Was strongly complained of. They might
4,olz:re their wives and families, and might, no doubt,
'here w g°l9d members of society. The time of punish-
Ns seeteti'd depend upon the term to which a person
teat t;eeheed; but the strictly penal part of the punish-
tioa 0, (nlld be passed in this country. The transporta-
the
ua persona to New South Wales would depend upon
the colon tending to be come to with the authorities 9
for th t'}'• Arrangements were at present being made
the IP erection of a Prison in Ireland, similar to
adoptedehtonville prison• in fact, the plan there
been d had proved so' favourable that it had
Prise,a;°bPted, as far as was practicable, in many of the
referred built before it. The Right Hon. Baronet
pt
eenn.
too.„ii,_
„t,o.the last report of the Commissioners of
separate
eoc_en:-'rison, which stated that the system of
led toueth en!, combined with education and industry, hadte
Inisencr: tcaprovernent of the moral condition of th.
sus that iti`,thd had led them to form habits of industry,
°t's in theireY were generally cheerful and and in us r . eticz.,nt
"nfinement. They said that separate con_ teat jb.. Prevented contamination and recognition, aenrd.
toes eoenfiofst results had accrued to the unfortunate p
tens eonidued to their care; but they added that the sys
discretion °W.Y be carried out properly with the utmost
la report
,and vigilance. He also read an extract from.
reeet c '',ls Earl Grey stating that plenty of emploe -
and °ll'd be found' for exiles sent to Port Philip,
hello that those who had been sent, had
beave, Well ; in fact that they were the best
that tti Persons in the colony,' and he sincerely hoped
that thee zhodifications about to be made,. would show
1, uefort ~n'e applied orate persons, to whom it was about to
'eeentl , would not abuse this indulgence. A report
ViewitlY Presented to the French Chambers, after re-
LakrrieZthe system of separate confinement in France,
'1 re,o-' and in this country at Pentonville, concluded
kloptadr'llnending that a similar system should be
tic:Mx, e,::r the future in 'France. There were, no
every da. eptional cases to this reformatory prin.ciple—
teal Y eases occured in which it was utterly ineffec-
,:4s; Plirtothey were the exceptions, and not the rule.
4'l this Posed that the first term of punishment
more ceqintr
es e thee Y should not be less 'than six, and
Zonnatbs Ceinogf eighteen months' duration , eighteen
the greatest term for which
.per-
The imprisoned in the Pentonville Prison.
to r Neet the Custody of Offenders Billwouwltiobil
co. ,!nder available any spare accommodation
establishments.
Arruld be given from the ordinary prison
th:ngeMents would bo made with the magistrates of
se counties of which the prisons were not entirely
~,upiee, to enable the Government to occupy a
-ta portion -aos of these prisons for the purposes
alreaeny 's°tarttiedn. A certain rent should be paid, and
the engagement was to terminate by six months' notice
()11 either side, so that if crime should unhappily in-
Zease in the country, or the Government become dissa-
Z„ed, the arrangeme.nt would at once cease. He was
:Lt aware of the difficulties which would attend the
Crentrng out such a scheme of punishment. The sud-
a, eas with which the demand . come upon them,
," casenabled them from trying
they
preliminary
tnillerinsent, so that, at first starting,. would labour
thoer sonsewhat disadvantageous circumstances. He
aeei
hr‘ght that this matter required the most careful and
ranuus attention of the Legislature, and he thought that
deco credit was due to all those gentlemen who had
Jeer,ed their attention to this very important sub-
Pa;t,tsisiYar, hear.) He had been for some time
retslaie'ing active steps to provide the increased. accom-
the -4°4 Which this new system would require, and with
Flan for 25,000 Z which had alread been obtained.
eat 'Pad already b 'en framed for the erection of such
the% shad
as would be required. With regard to
atateiltera of transportation for life, Lord Stanley had
_,censia,,liaa_it it was quite impossible that he cuuld be
41t6i",eu as a convict for the whole of this time,
tera-t-g" he might not be admitted as a fit person to re-
Ceti "() this country. A limited period would be as-
ea for the compulsory labour of persons under such
et tnetion, and the remainder of their lives would he
,allowedetr Olen disposal, although they would not be
hap! to to return to their native land. He was very
taetsVnis'e° see, that in the Chamber of Peers, when this
hot e),„ Was adverted to, the French Government had
core,".ressed the slightest alarm, that any great or
in-
heir alient influx of convicts would take place upon
PersonssuOres in consequence of the discharge of these
Ni, after they had undergone their terms of
The Ileeraent and penal labour in this country.
tioo •'''nreat object will be, to restore them to their condi-
Of lit - a°,cletY, and enable them to enter into a new way
eaten e,;„ 'le was quite ready to admit that a large and
of pe-ee change ought to be brought under the attention
lipo,"rl,lansent, but-being unable to satisfy themselves
at ie- wnat particular plan they should adopt,. they labs
Isked from a further interference. He had said nothing
Um-- regard to the new colony of North Australia, . asn
of ssabjeet did not bear any reference to thehat qlitestwioas
e qransportation. In fact. it appeared
ho'eace not intended for thewlnoncationof convicts.t He
red that establishmentsh
oyld yet be formed in
b s of tender years
kill country to w
„At bo sent, where hey would be instructed
He
f7d rendered back to society as useful members.
ii°haidered that he had now stated the woleGoefvetrhnemoeuntf-
tre, of the plan which her Majesty's .
ae''red to adopt, and he conjured thellouseeonnoatitdoeirudtghee
u St , ,
va‘st7t:Y or condemn rashly.
.Let. them
hr raount of documentary evidence which had been
deli to bear upon the. question. The Government
le Sired to make an exneriment upon the advice of Dr.
he—all°r, who recommended that criminal labour. should
up:eivadelopnublicly useful, thus inflicting a punishment
eoeeateri,rne, while they conferred public advantage. In
, he would say that be would be happy to
I;:ene-ve anY advice or auy assistance which Hon: Gentle-
-111- might be willing to afford the Government in
carry-
tout their proposition.
should°rd MAIION said that he would regret very. much,
ae . . .
sti eeY Party spirit interfere in the.discussionofthe
etitlaetl°o. He felt a very strong objection to the suddenh
hadlig of the punishment of transportation. Sinecfet he
the honour of a seat in that House, it was one b
greatest changes which he had seen attempted.
hThere
e
~tas another objection to the measure whiec d
nh
"'it so felt strongly, namely, the fact of re orwhieng
therelealinal sentence of transportation,
tee , was no intention of carrying it out. They all re-
q uthiered the debates which had taken place upon the
ktlesit,° Of capital punishment, and the miserableness of
ee,33,-t-ts. hontences which were not to be carried into
asa'tryt°Qh• Nor did he consider that the success of the
, Right II
think
the
wuhrlickhfavva;:naetrcleaombntlitlYfwei: Gentleman. He was disposed t
al)nfs
e.
trshiuoeffiassceipeoanfrtatteo warrant the deductions
eighteen
aould be stretehetliornevetrh, es
by es
imprisonment tedmi
a o
nf
mannerio imprisonment,
frompstreyhei seenaonatt ntlarheamsn
amfaxeahet
anglatynitohodt,:
lOren done by the
ie now came to the secoßnidghmtode Honourableo f
labour in the hulks. Now it was voted punishment,someG
ttuat the number imprisoned in the hulks was by muc
yet, in defiance of that vote, the Right Hon..
re„a_tsieatan came down to the Mouse, and desired to in-
e,.74 e it. Some of the most eminent statesmen of
rrieriance regretted the system of governing bands f
stccais employed upon public works, such as those at
1.. 1.1100 and. at .Brest. They praised the system. of. Enagla-
Vl,-, which found means of providing for their criminals
4duread, and who did not, at intervals, let out bands of
e4Perate and unreformed criminals. Yet such was the
tlicattb,how proposed, He did think it could not be prac..-
ee ''' 'e,as a national system. He had received the opi
wrio°l°. the Bishop of Australia, who stated that public
should come first, and separate confinement after-
wards. Viri k
h d
t. respect to sending the prisoners abroad