The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-20 00:00:00

WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH

OUR COYVICTS

LET rEit I.

TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR GEORGE GREY, BART., M.P.,
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT.
Sir,—Last year I had the honour of addressing to
you a letter, containing an answer to this most im-
portant of social questions— What shall be dune with
our convicts ?—suggesting a plan which appeared,
and still appears to me, to offer the best practical
solution of a difficult political problem, and therefore
anxiously looked for those Parliamentary discussions
which were considered inevitable upon Si subject so
deeply affecting the vital interests of this country.
But the session has passed away, and the Colonial-
office has, with the exception of a memorable declara-
tion of Earl Grey's, which I will presently examine,
not only studiously avoided giving to this country
and to the colonies any intimation of its intentions
respecting the future disposal of convicts, but has
upon two several occasions wantonly insulted the
feelings of those colonists, who believe that the con-
tinued transmission of convicts into the country they
inhabit inflicts upon them an enormous social evil.
Those insults were of too marked and public a cha-
racter not to rankle in the minds of the colonists ;
adding another item to those which stud the records
of the Colonial-office, and to which Earl Grey appears
resolved to contribute his fair quota, although he
could not have adopted more injudicious conduct—
the only motive for which could have been to screen
him from a confession that he was unable to give a
satisfactory reply to the question—What he proposed
should be done with our convicts ?

It was most injudicious, as well as most insulting,
to have the House counted out upon the two several
occasions when the subject was brought forward by
independent Members, because discussion must have
. .

elicited some plan of which the House might have
approved, and at any rate would have assured the
colonist that, if his wishes were not immediately com-
plied with, the subject was one which was receiving
the anxious attention of the Legislature.
But Lord Grey, by, having the House counted
out, and preventing all discussion, has in effect said--
I want none of your advice, none of your
opinions, for I have a plan of my own, which I have
already stated in the House of Lords, which I consider
sufficient to meet the views of all parties, and which
is redolent of the mind of a sagacious statesman, as
fully meeting the present evil, and avoiding future
calamity.
As, however, I entertain a very different opinion of
his Lordship's plan, I will carefully examine it in re-
lation, Ist, to its intrinsic properties, 2dly, to the pub-
lished opinion of one of acknowledged wisdom, and,
3dly, to the facts we have derived from practical ex-
perience ; and if such plan will not stand either of
these tests, then the conclusion is inevitable—that it
was most injudicious, as well as most insulting, to
prevent discussion upon a subject which so deeply
affects the social condition of this country, which
cannot possibly adjust itself, but which must sooner
or later receive the attention of Parliament.

Earl Grey's plan is simply this :—" The colonists
are in great want of shepherds, and therefore I propose
that the convicts shall be sent into the interior of the
country to serve as shepherds."

But, I must submit tat the intrinsic properties of
such plan are bad ; Ist, because from two to three
thousand convicts are annually sentenced to trans-
portation, and about as many hundreds would be a
sufficient supply of shepherds ; and, 2dly, on account
of the nature of the employment.
The proverb says—" The devil tempts all, but the
idle man tempts the devil," and the most idle occupa-
tion in the world is that of a shepherd, yet Lord
Grey seriously proposes such a life for the convict,
who, you, as Home Secretary, have, at considerable
care and expense, inured to constant work, at Mill-
bank, or Portland, or Dartmoor, and to whom such
work has almost ceased t> be irksome.

That man under a judicious system would pro-
bably have become a valuable member of society in
the colony. Does it require a prophet to fortel his
too•certain career under Lord Grey's plan, living
the idle life of a shepherd, in a remote district,
without the benefit of good example, beyond the con-
trol either of a master or a magistrate, and with no
other associates except those who have been equally,
criminal with himself. Am I wrong, then, in de-
scribing his plan to be a bad one on account of its
intrinsic properties ? We shall see that it is even
worse when subject to the test of the opinion of wise
men, or the experience we have acquired.
I have the honour to remain, &c.,
RIGBY WASON.

Corwar, Aug. 18. 1851.

TO TEE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Very many useful suggestions have I seen on
everything appertaining to the Exhibition, but nothing
that meets my ease, and the case of thousands similarly
situated.

I am a working man with eight children, and should
wish to take five of them to the Exhibition; this would
amount to 75., for them, my wife, and myself, to begin
with, and the loss of a day's work certain, besides other
necessary expenses, which would make 13s. or 14s. the
day's loss. Now, what I think reasonable is this—that
a few days should he allowed for juveniles to be admitted
at half price; we might then possibly be able to see our
children enjoy the holiday with us—at present almost
impossible. That you will insert this, and so be the
means of drawing attention to the subject, is the earnest
wish of A HARD-WORKING MAN.

COURT CIRCULAR.
OSBORNE, TUESDAY, Arlo. lg.
The Queen and Prince Albert walked in the grounds
early yesterday morning.
The royal children also took their usual exercise.
Four Chinese, three ladies and a gentleman, dressed in
the costume of their country, arrived at Osborne yes-
terday morning, from London. They were accompa-
nied by an interpreter and their attendants, and had the
honour of being introjuced to her Majesty and his Royal
Highness.

At a quarter past five o'clock in the afternoon, the
Queen, Prince Albert, and the youthful Princesses em-
barked on board the royal yacht Fairy, attended by the
suite, and accompanied by the Earl of Liverpool (who
has arrived on a visit), and proceeded nearly to the
Needles, to witness the regatta of the Royal Yacht
Squadron.
The Fairy returned to Osborne at a quarter past
seven o'clock.

Madame Casteßan, SigLor Mario, and Herr Formes
had the honour of singing before her Majesty and his
Royal Highness in the evening. M. Costa accompanied
on the pianoforte.
The ro) al dinner party included the Earl of Liver-
pool, Colonel and Lady Katherine Harcourt, and Sir
Hamilton ar,d Lady Seymour, who havo arrived on a
visit. Lady Caroline and Miss Barrington, and the Hon.
Colonel and Mrs. Phipps had the honour of receiving
invitations in the evening.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by
Dr. Lyon Playfair, and attended by Lieutenant-Colonel
the lion. A. Gordon, left Osborne at eight o'clock yes-
terday morning, to preside at a meeting of the Royal
Commission for the promotion of the Exhibition of the
Works of Industry of all Nations, at the Exhibition
Building in Hyde-park.
His Royal Highness crossed in the royal yacht Fairy
to Gosport, where a special train was in waiting to con-
vey the Prince to the Vauxhall station of the South-
Western Railway, from whence his Royal Highness pro-
ceeded direct to the Exhibition Building, arriving there
at half-past eleven o'clock.
The Commission met at twelve o'clock. The Com-
missioners present were his Royal Highness Prince Al-
bert, Earl Granville, Lord John Russell, the Right Hon.
Henry Labouchere, the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone,
Mr. Charles Barry, Mr. Bar4ey, Mr. Cobden, M.P.,
Mr. William Cubitt, Sir Charles Eastlake, Mr, Thomas
F. Gibson, Mr. John Gott, Mr. Pusey, M.P., Mr. Robert
Stephenson, Mr. John Shepherd, and Mr. Hop-
kins. Dr. Lyon Playfair, Special Commissioner ; Col.
Lloyd, Special Commissioner; Lieutenant-Colonel Reid,
Chairman of the Executive Committee;• , Mr. Dilke and
Mr. Cole were also present.
Sir Stafford Northcote, Mr. Scott Russell, and Mr.
Edgar Bowring, secretaries, were in attendance.
The meetingdid not break up till four o'clock, at
which hour his Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended
by Lieut.-Colonel the Hon. A Gordon, left the Exhibi-
tion Building on his return to Osborne. His Royal
Highness proceeded to the Vauxhall station of the
South-Western Railway, where a special train was in
readiness to convey the Prince to Gosport.
Previous to the assembling of the Royal Commis-
sioners, a meeting of the Finance Committee was held in
the Exhibition building.

___--
HER VAJESTY'S TISIT TO SCOTLAND.
We understand that her Majesty, who will leave Os-
borne on Wednesday, has expressed her intention to ar-
rive at the King's-cross stration of the Great Northern
Railway at half-past one o'clock in the afternoon. Her
Majesty will take luncheon at the station, and depart
thence at two o'clock. At Lincoln her Majesty will,
without leaving her carriage, receive an address from
the corporation of that city. The royal train will reach
Do❑caster station at about half-past six. Here her Ma-
jesty will leave the royal carriage, and proceed to the
Angel Hotel, which has been engaged for her accommo-
dation. and where she will remain during the night. At
nine o'clock on the following morning her Majesty will
journey on to Holyrood, between which place and Don-
caster the royal train will stop only for the engine to
take in water. A temporary station is to be provided at
Holyrood to enable her Majesty to cross over to Holy-
rood House, without going through the city. Her Ma-
jesty will sleep at Holyrood, and on the following morn-
ing return to the railway through the temporary station
and proceed to Stonehaven, which has this year been se-
lected in preference to Cupar Angus, as the terminal
point of her Majesty's railway journey, in consequence
of the route from Stonehaven to Balmoral being better
than that from Cupar Angus to the latter place. The
royal carriage of the Great Northern Railway will run
through to Stonehaven.

Father Ignatius, according to a contemporary, has
gone to Germany, the necessity for recruiting his health
being the cause assigned for his expatriation; but that the
real tact is, his simplicity or his eccentricities were causing
too much trouble to the heads of the Polish clique in West-
migaer,—llorning Paper.

11 S INTS

LON DON,

THE WRECK OF THE LARPEIVT.

The Antelope opium clipper bad brought to Hong-
Kong three men, the sole survivors of the British
snip Larpent, which was wrecked on the south-east
end of Formosa on the 12th of September last. The
narrative givan by these three survivors is a very
melancholy one. It appears that the American barque
Antelope, on her passage to Shanghai, was lying, on
the night of the Ist instant, nearly becalmed off the
south point of Formosa, when a boat was observed
coming from the shore, and those in the Antelope
heard the voices of Englishmen, requesting that they
might be taken on board. Captain Roundy accord-
ingly received three men, the sole survivors of the
crew of the Larpent, of Liverpool. It appears that
the Larpent, of 614 tons, only seven years old, be-
longing to Mr. T. Ripley, and commanded by Mr.
Gilson, left Liverpool on the 18th of May, 1850, on a
voyage to Shanghai; the crew, including Mr. Bland,
a passenger acting as third mate, numbering 31. The
Larpent passed Anjer on the 19th of August. On
the 12th of September, in the forenoon, she passed
Botel Tobago lima, a lofty island, bearing east
half north from the south cape, Formosa, from
which it is distant 13 leagues. The weather is said
to have been thick and rainy. At 9.30 P.M. all
hands were alarmed at the ship suddenly striking
on a rock. By backing the head sails, however,
the ship came off almost immediately, but on
sounding the pumps no less than seven feet of water
were found in the hold ; all hands were forthwith
busily kept at pumping until 2.15 A M. of the follow-
ing day, when, as there was no prospect of gaining
on the leak, Captain Gilson ordered the quarter boats
to be lowered, and the launch to be hoisted out. In
the hurry the jolly-boat stove and became useless.
The captain, mate, and six men then got into the
starboad quarter-boat, the remaining members of the
crew taking the launch, in which some provisions
bad been placed. On the weather clearing up a little
at daylight, they found themselves close to the shore,
somewhere in the vicinity of the place designated on
the map of Formosa, Mat-faer. Here they all landed
for the purpose of getting fresh water, and with the
intention also of caulking the long boat; but in these
purposes they were prevented, the natives coming
down in; great numbers and plundering them
of every moveable. So situated, Captain Gilson de-
termined to put to sea again, to endeavour to reach
Hong-Kong, a distance of 400 miles and upwards.
Both boats started together, but the launch, still
leaking considerably, was unable to keep up with
the lighter boat, and parting company was never more
seen, although it was afterwards heard that Captain
Gilson had landed near South Cape, and procured
water. (There, indeed, he might have been mur-
dered or taken captive, and may still be in slavery,
for aught we are required to believe to the contrary.)
At daylight on the 14th, the launch having rounded
the extreme point, the crew landed on a shelving
beach, surrounded by bushes, intending, before pro-
ceeding any further, to do their best to repair the
boat. About 8 A.M., almost without any previous
warning, they found themselves in the midst of a
deadly fire of matchlocks. Young Mr. Bland was
observed to spring a great height into the air and fall
flat on his face dead ; those who could swim imme-
diately took to the water, whence the savages were
seen, with long knives, stabbing those who were
wounded, and immediately cutting off their heads,
which, to the number of nineteen, were then thrown
into a terrible heap. Blake, the joiner, says that,
although wounded by a shot when in the water, he
swam for several miles across a broad bight, and had
landed under a huge sugar-loaf rock thoroughly ex-
hausted, thinking he was the only one saved, when,
turning his eyes seaward, he observed the boy Hill,
pursued by an enormous shark. The lad appeared
nearly exhausted, and was about to sink, when,
cheered by his voice, he gave a few more strokes and
landed in shoal water, whence he dragged himself
over the coral to the place where Blake was
sitting. Here they had not remained long when
two natives with matchlocks were seen tra

versing a beach at some distance, apparently in pur-
suit of them. But they succeeded in hiding them-
selves for the time, and afterwards escaped to the
mountains, where they remained until the 19th.
Exhausted nature could hold out no longer, and at a
time when Blake says the feelings of a cannibal had
arisen in his breast, and he insanely thought of par-
taking of his comrade's blood rather than remain
longer without food, they wandered into a field where
some villagers were at work. From them they ob-
tained a meal of rice and shelter, and were afterwards
made to work with the village labourers from daylight
till dark—sometimes in boats, diving for large shell
fish, at others with hoes about the paddy ground.
The man Beris and another had landed at a different
place, whence they tried to reach a junk, in which
one f them, Harrison, succeeded, but was almost
immediately shot and decapitated in sight of his com-
rade. Beris appears to have subsequently joined
Blake and Hill, the latter of whom., being unable to
do so much work as the others, was subjected to very
severe treatment, and has been left sick at Shanghai.
At the expiration of five months the kind-hearted
villagers sold them to some neighbours for six dol-
lars a piece, the purchasers proving to be of a more
friendly disposition than the original holders. On
arrival at Shanghai a voluminous narrative of the seven

months and 16 days captivity was taken by Mr. Con-
sul Alcock.—North China Herald.

A SHIP DESTROYED AT SEA.

A serious loss at sea by fire was communicated on
Monday, at Lloyd's, the burning of the ship Jane,
700 tons burden, commanded by Captain Soule,
bound to Glasgow from New York, and the combus-
tible character, of her cargo, consisting of 850 bar-
rels of tar, 900 barrels of rosin, besides 60 barrels of
spirits of turpentine, rendered her destruction fearful
in the extreme. The ship sailed for Glasgow on the
21st of July. Two days after an alarm was raised,
and on the crew taking off the main hatches, and
hoisting a few barrels of rosin out on to the deck, in
order to make rom for the men to get down, it was
evident that a fire had broken out in the hold. The
men finding the smoke increasing commenced throw-
ing water on the cargo, which was continued for many
hours without producing any visible effect. The master
then caused the hatches to be replaced and made air-
tight, as were also those for ward and aft, the only remedy
he had to check the fire. The ship was bore round,
and all sail clapped on to make for Long bland,
where there would be a chance of scuttling her near
the shore; but her destruction became inevitable.
About five o'clock her boats were got over the ships's
side, and everything got in readiness to enable the
crew to quit at a moment's notice. They stuck to
their duty till nine o'clock. All hands were then
withdrawn; the flames had broken through various
parts of the ship, and ere many minutes elapsed, one
mass of fire poured forth, and reaching the three
masts, all were speedily on fire from stem to stern,
throwing a bright lurid glare over the wide waters of
the Atlantic for miles. The fire that arose from the
immense quantity of combustibles in the hold, when
the decks were destroyed, was terrific. It continued
till three o'clock the following morning, by which
time the ship was burned down to the water's edge.
She went down soon afterwards. The boats then
pulled in the direction of the land, and they were
picked up in safety by an American vessel, the
Governor Briggs, on board of which they received
every kindness and hospitality. The unfortunate
crew lost everything they possessed. The ship and
her cargo, it is reported, were not insured.

THE CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY AND
CREATING AT PLAY AT BRIGHTON.

On Mr. Carpenter, the magistrate, taking his seat
at the Town-hall, Brighton, yesterday morning,
Mr. Sill, the solicitor for the prosecution in this
case, made an application to the bench under these
circumstances :—Mr. Sill said that shortly after five
o'clock on the previous evening, whilst at dinner at
the Ship Hotel, he received a message by the waiter,
and on going out into the hall he found two persons
there, one of whom handed him a paper, saying it was
a notice of bail for Broome, and the same person then
handed another paper, saying it was a notice of bail
for Staden. Both papers simply contained the names
of certain parties, but did not mention either the time
or place when the bail was to be offered. He (Mr.
Sill) immediately had the party confronted with Mr.
Lewis, the solicitor for the defence, who happened to
be in the coffee-room at the time, and on being
informed what had occurred, and being asked
whether he adopted or rejected the notices, that
gentleman answered that he couldn't say no, and he
wouldn't say yes. He (Mr. Sill) then asked the
person who had served the papers to favour him with
his name, when he answered that it was " George
William Thompson, of No. 1, York-road, Kenning-
ton-road, gentleman or lawyer's clerk ;" and on being
pressed to say which designation he adopted, he re-
plied, " say lawyer's clerk," but he declined to
say
m in whose
he o
seemplory.m Sill)ent wished he was ihe Under these
wouldthese cir-
cumstances
whether any attention should be paid to notices of the
character he had mentioned ?
Mr. Carpenter said that undoubtedly the notices so
served were, to all intents and purposes, a nullity,
and that the attorney for the prosecution need not take
any notice of them.
Mrs. Staden, who was in court, inquired of the
magistrate if it was necessary to give fresh notices ?
Mr. Carpenter said she had better consult with her
legal adviser.
Mrs. Staden then added that she wished to dis-
claim any knowledge or participation in the proceed-
ings in court the day before, and that Mr. Genesse
was an utter stranger to her. She then asked Mr.
Sill, the solicitor for the prosecutor, if she could speak
with him.

Mr. Sill replied that he could not refuse a request
so made, but it must be in the presence of the Innis-
tratts, or of the rnagistratet clerk.i