The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-09 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY

WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH
OUR CONVICTS ?
LETTER IV.

TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR GEORGE GREY, BART., M.P
&c. &c. &c.

Sir,—Since I had the honour of addressing you
upon this important subject, a friend has brought
under my attention two most important facts, of
which I had not been aware, and so confirmatory of the
opinions which I have expressed, that I am induced to
trouble you with this letter.
One is contained in a letter written by the Bishop
of Melbourne, wherein he declares, "That after the
most anxious desire to elicit the truth, and with a
strong prepossession in favour of the plan which has
been adopted, of sending out convicts, after a certain
period of probation in England, with a ticket of leave,
he is compelled to say, and the opinion of all is the
same, that they are the worst class, as a class, of the
whole community. That the evils resulting from the
immigration of the expirers appear to have been tar
less than those caused by the introduction of the
exiles ; that by far the greater number of the notori-
ous thieves and bad characters about the towns con-
sist of the latter—the gaol is full of them, that his
Lordship's feelings are so completely changed, that he
should regard the arrival of a ship with convicts as
even less mischievous than that of one with pardoned
exiles."

Surely these statements of facts emanating from so
high a character as the Bishop of Melbourne must
establish the truth of the proposition I advanced, that
it would be far better to adopt the reformatory dis-
cipline in the colonies than in this country.
The second important fact, of which I was not
aware, is, the following passage in the petition to the
Queen, from the committee of the New South Wales
Association :

" Humbly but confidently submitting, that if the
state of society in the mother country, and a due re-
gard to her own safety, forbid that she should retain
within her own bosom the criminals whom the law
now subject to transportation, it is her bounden duty
as a Christian nation to find for them some place of
refuge—if on this continent so remote from the several
colonies of the Australian group, and under such strin-
gent and salutary regulations as to preclude their in-
gress into any of these colonies, without the express
concurrence and consent of the several colonial
Legislatures."
Do, Sir George Grey, look at the sentence in
italics, and say if it is not the identical plan which I
submitted to you last year ?—and cn this basis it is
not yet too late to enter into a compromise with
these important colonies, alike honourable to them
and to the mother country.
By the existing law the immense country north of
thirty degrees of latitude may be separated from Mew
South Wales ; let this be immediately done, and then
say to the association—That if they will withdraw all
opposition to the introduction of convicts to remote
parts of the new district, and of Western Australia,
under similar stringent and salutary regulations to
those which you have so wisely and so effectually in-
troduced into Portland Island, that on your part you
will agree that no more convicts shall be sent to any
place south of the thirtieth degree of latitude.
Then give the plan which I proposed a fair trial.
If it succeeds you will have conferred on our native
land and upon Australia an inestimable benefit; and
you will receive the blessing of thousands whom you
will have converted from criminals to useful members
of society. If it shall fail—and success cannot be se-
cured for the best of plans—you will have performed
your duty, and no man can honestly charge you with
rashness in attempting to carry out the views of a
Stanley and a Graham on this difficult subject.
The idle activity of the Colonial-office will eagerly
grasp at the offer of some colonists in Western Aus-
tralia to receive convicts on the old terms—viz., by
assignments and tickets of leave--a continuance of the
old abominations. Yet it will save the office trouble,
and is not that something, although productive of the
continuance of discontent. Will you give your sup-
port to the continuance of a system which has been
denounced by sagacious men e.s bad in theory, and
which has produced in pracdce such lamentable
results P—l have the honour to remain,

Your very obedient and faithful servant,
RIGBY WASON.

Corwar, Dec. 1, 1851.

COURT CIRCULAR.
OSBORNE, DEC. 8.

Her Majesty, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, the
Prince of Wales, and the Princess Royal, attended Di-
♦ine service yesterday morning, at the parish church at
Whippingham. The Rev. T. Protberoe officiated.

Sir Thomas Fremantle, Chairman of the Customs,
had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer
yesterday at his official residence in Downing-street.
Mr. C. E. Stewart and Mr. Carter transacted business
yesterday at the railway department of the Board of
Trade.

Dispatches were received at the Colonial-office, yester-
day, from the Governor of Ceylon. Dispatches wore
sent off last evening to the Governor of Ceylon.
The Judicial Committee of her Majesty's Most
Honourable Privy Council sat yesterday in the Council
Chamber. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwall,
the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty, and Sir
Edward Ryan, attended. An appeal from British
Guiana, Watson v. Llacketts," was commenced. Tho
case was adjourned.

GLASGOW AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic for
.he week ending December 6, 1851:
Passengers (19,618), goods and
parcels, horses and carriages.. £3,686 14 7
Corresponding week in last year 3,156 19 7
Glasgow, December 8.

THE REV. WILLIAM JENRIN(L—The long pending
appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury by the Rev. Wil-
liam Jenkins against the Bishop of Llandaff's refusal to in-
stitute him to the rectory of Michaelstone-y-Vedw, to which
he had been presented by Colonel Tynte, has been decided
in favour of the appellant, his Grace having reversed the
refusal of the Bishop, and ordered the institution of Mr.
Jenkins.

MINES...—. MONDAY EVENlNG.—Transactions have
taken place to-day in Alfred Consols, South Tamar, West
Alfred Consols, Merllyn, &c. This being settling-day in
Agua Frias and Ave Manias, there was more activity in the
Californian Gold Mining shares, the market leaving off very
good, and with an upward tendency. The last quotations
are as follow :—Agua Fria, 34 to 1 prem. ; Nouveau Monde,
14 to % prem.; Anglo-Californian, to I,lt prem ; Golden
Mountain, prem. ; Ave Maria, IA to par; West Mari-
posa, 3-16 to 1-16 dis.
THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT AT KENSINGTON.—
Last night Mr. Wakley, M.P., coroner for Middlesex,
resumed and concluded an investigation into the cause
of the death of Robert Wodlen, aged 28, a plasterer,
who was killed on the 29th ult. by the falling of a large
portion of a pile of buildings in the course of erection, in the
Gloucester-road, Kensington. Evidence was gone into as
to the sufficiency of the control of the architect over the ma-
terials used in the building, and upon the question of their
strength and quality; after which the jury returned the fol-
lowing verdict We find that Robert Wodlen was acci-
dentally killed by the falling of the cornice of the parapet
of certain houses, the property of Mr. John Inderwick,
situated in Gloucester-road, Kensington, upon the 29th No-
vember, 1851 ; and we further find, that the cause of the ac-
cident was by reason of the bad materials furnished by Mr.
laderwick ; we also find that Mr. Bean, the surveyor, was
to blame for having permitted the work to proceed under
such circumstances."
GALLANT ACTION.-011 October 7, at 8 r.m., just
as her Majesty's ship Waterwitch was anchoring at Mon-
rovia, a boy named Clarke fell overboard out of the fore rig-
ging. Captain Gardner, though dressed in heavy blanket
clothes and thick boots, instantly jumped overboard from aft
and saved the boy. His good example was followed by Mr.
Legge (mate), Mr. M'Callum (carpenter), and J. Palmer
(the G. R. cook). At the time all the sailors in the ship
were aloft furling sails. There was a strong tide running,
and it was perfectly dark. Luckily they were all picked up,
and the next day were again fit for duty.
The Duke of Newcastle, who has been indisposed,
is, we are happy to say, now considerably improved in health.
We regret to learn that the venerable Lord Skel-
mersdale is lying seriously ill with an attack of erysipelas at
Rode Hall. The Countess of Darhy and other members of
his Lordship's family have been summoned to attend his
Lordship.
DEATH OF LADY CAROLINE KING.—WO regret
to state that this lady died on Saturday last, in Chosham-
place, having given birth to a son on the previous day. Her
Ladyship was sister to the Earl of Portarlington, and was in
her 3", id year. In 1847 the deceased was married to Captain
George St. Vincent King, R.N., the brother of Sir Richard
Duckworth King, Bart.

FEMALE ORPHAN ASYLUM.—A special general
meeting of this charity was held yesterday, in the board-
room, Westminster-bridge-road; Mr. Evans in the chair;
when ten females were selected for admission from a long
list of candidates.

ADULT ORPHAN INSTITUTION.—Yesterday a special
general meeting of the friends and subscribers to this charity
was held in the offices of the institution, Regent's-park, at
which four contributory wards were chosen from a list of six
candidates. The charity, it appeared from the report, is
now in a very satisfactory condition, and the educational
progress of the inmates is most gratifying.
VOLUNTARY SUBMISSION TO DECAPITATION—
EXTRAORDLNARY FATALlTY.—Yesterday (Monday) morn-
ing, at an early hour, the body of a young man, named John
Charlton, was found dead on the line of railway which runs
from Nottingham to Mansfield. He is the nephew of Richard
Charlton, a gamekeeper and publican, who was accidentally
shot and killed by the explosion of a gun-barrel in his pocket
at Radford, last Friday. This seems to have affected the
young man's mind so much as to induce him to commit sui-
cide, by laying on the rails, near Barford workhouse, just as
the last train was approaching from Mansfield on Sunday
night. The engine and carriages had completely smashed
his head and one shoulder to pieces, severing them from the
body. At a coroner's inquest, before Mr. Swann, yesterday
(Monday) afternoon, a verdict to the effect that the deceased
committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind was
returned.

Joseph llume has received the honour of a burgess
ticket at the hands of the authorities of Elgin. At the last
meeting of town council the clerk read an acknowledgement
of the honour from Mr. Hume.—lnverness Courier.

GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION FROM THE RIVER
MERSEY TO AUSTRALIA.—The Government Commissioners
of Emigration have arranged that the ship Mangerton shall
sail from Birkenhead with Government emigrants to Aus-
tralia. This is the first vessel which they have dispatched
from the Mersey.—Liverpool 'finks.
The demand for agricultural labour in Yorkshire
is greater than it has been for some years past, and higher
wages are asked and obtained.—Carli4c Journal.