The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-05 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Lord LANESBOROUGH --presented a number of
petitions from various Irish counties complaining of the
Papal aggression, and praying their Lordships to take
steps for its suppression.
Lord WODEHOUSE presented a petition from Nor-
folk praying for the establishment of county financial
boards.
The Duke of ARGYLE presented a petition from
Edinburgh praying that the African squadron may
not be withdrawn, and praying their Lordships to take
more effectual steps for the suppression of the slave trade.
PAROCHIAL ASSESSMENT.

Lord VIVIAN presented a petition in favour of an
improved system of parochial assessment.
Lord MALMESBURY thought that the present law
of parochial assessment was a most substantial case of
injustice. A Committee had been granted by her Ma-
jesty's Government in the course of last session, and ho
trusted that the present session would not be allowed to
pass without some measure being introduced on the
subject.
TRANSPORTATION OF CONTICTS. VAN
DIEM AN'S LAND.
Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition, nume-
rously and respectably signed, from Van Dieman's
Land, praying for the discontinuance of the trans-
portation of convicts to that colony. He wished
to call their Lordships' attention to the terms of
this petition, which contained in it an imputation of
bad faith on the course pursued towards the colony by
her Majesty's Government in this respect. Some 17
years ago, owing to various representations, her Majesty's
Government had determined on discontinuing to send
transports to that colony for two years, and at the opening
of the session of 1848 Sir W. Dennison announced to the
Legislative Council that even after these two years bad
expired the system of transportation would not be re-
sumed. The petitioners stated that not one of the
pledges made by the Government had been fulfilled; that
even before the lapse of two years transportation to the
colony had been resumed, and that under the existing
circumstances the enormous amount of convict
population was not only destroying the best
hopes entertained of the moral improvement
of the colony, but driving out of it the free population
and free emigrants, and lowering the rats of wages as
compared with other colonies. The petitioners concluded
by stating that in consequence of the persevering in-
justice of the English Government to the colony,
they had no reliance whatever in any pledges which
they might make. By the last returns it appeared that
more than half of the population of Van Dieman's Land
were convicts, and he (Lord Monteagle) feared that the
disturbances which took place at the Cape of Good Hope
might have their example elsewhere. Indeed, at present
there was every disposition evinced in New South
Wales to establish a kind of league for the purpose
of rendering the introduction of convicts into any
part of that great colony utterly impossible. An
opinion had been given by several eminent judges
to the effect that the abandonment of transportation
as a secondary punishment would be attended with
great danger to the administration of criminal justice.
If resistance was an alternative likely to arise, it was an
alternative that could be foreseen and prevented. No
less than 27,000 convicts had been thrown upon Van
Dieman's Land atone, and be put it to their Lord-
ships whether that was either right or proper.
—(Hear, hear.] He had now performed the
duty he had undertaken, and as the subject he had
brought under the notice of their Lordships was one of
considerable importance, he hoped it would not escape
the attention of her Majesty's Government.—(Hear.)
Earl GREY did not think it necessary to detain
their Lordships with any lengthened reply to the ob-
servations of the Noble Lord who bad presented this
petition; but the Noble Lord had repeated a statement
which he made last year, namely, that there had been a
breach of faith on the part. of the Government with re-
gard to sending out convicts to Van Dieman's Land.
—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") Now, he begged at once
to contradict that allegation.—(tletsr, bear.) All the
dispatches which had been laid either before the House
or the Colonial Legislature distinctly stated that it was
not intended entirely to abolish transportation, but, on
the contrary, it was intended to continue it in a limited
degree, and he thought some parts of those dispatches
taken singly might lead to the impression which the Noble
Lord appeared to labour under, yet when taken as a whole
no one could form any other conclusion from them
than that Government proposed to adopt a system
which should compel the convict to suffer the greater
part of his punishment at home, and which ultimately
contemplated his transportation to some distant colony
such as Van Dieman's Land.—(Hear, hear.) He had
represented that in this country, where there was an
excess of labour, that if his system were adopted,
those persons would be a benefit instead of doing an in-
jury to the state, if a place were provided for their employ-
ment. The returns bad shown that the system which be
bad adopted had been profitable to the whole state. His
object and that of his colleagues was to send con-
victs out to colonies where their labour was required.
The result had proved that the notions entertained
by her Majesty's Government were correct. The
object of the Government was to make a dif-
ference in the fate of the convicts, in order
that, instead of sending a number of convicts
out at once from a state of restraint to perfect li-
berty, for which they would naturally be unfit,
an intermediate state should be provided, by
which the convicts might learn habits of tem-
perance and order. The result bad shown
that they were correct. It was true that an
address had been voted by the other House of Parlia-
ment, in which, as he thought, his Noble Friend the
First Lord of the Treasury had imprudently con-
curred. But he might . say that their play
had been fully effective in its operation. In New Zea-
land the test had been closely applied, and the effect was
to show that no labour had been so valued as convict la-
bour. That it was compulsory was true, but it was none
the less effective on that account. The labourers had
invariably proved honest and industrious, and had been
a material assistance to the colony. This was a natter
to be looked at, as the object of the Government
was to render a benefit to the whole of
the colonial dependencies.—(Hear, hear.) Then, from
the reports respecting Australia, he could say that out of
1,618 convicts sent to that colony only 40 were ever
brought before magistrates, and of these only 10
had been convicted of any offence greater than that
of petty larceny. He could cite other instances.
He was persuaded that the inhabitants of New South
Wales would see that it would be for their advantage
that convicts should be again sent to that colony. He
agreed they ought not to be sent to Sydney or the large
towns, but it would be for the advantage of the colony
that they should be sent to the immense sheep. feeding
downs; and on a division which took
it pwlaacseeeilny
the
Sydney Legislature as to the propriety of receiving
convicts, the numbers were equal, and
casting vote of the Speaker which decided
the question, and when the Legislature should
be divided, there would be but little doubt but that the
northern district would be in favour of receiving con-
victs, as every inhabitant of that district wished to have
the advantage of convict labour. The latest accounts
he had received from Van Dieman's Land proved that
that colony was rising from the depression under which
it had been suffering, the demand fur labour was greater,
the revenue was increasing, and commerce was im-
proving ; the ship-building trade had greatly increased
and he believed it would increase, and that convict la-
bour would be found most valuable. The convictions at
the police-courts had fallen off, which proved that the
morals of the population were improving.
Thep
adjourned.
wasetition thenordered to lie on the table, and
their Lordships

The subject for discussion at the next meeting of
the Society of Arts is cobalt; its mauufacture and 115e."5,
commercial and artistic.