The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-28 00:00:00

WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH
ouli CONVICTS ?
LE f I EU, 11.
TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR GEORGE GREY, DART., M.P.,
&C. &C. &C.
Sir,—Having shown gnat the intrinsic properties
of Lord Grey's plan are opposed to the reclamation
of the convict, let me re:w Examine it in relation to
the published opinion of one of acknowledged sagacity
and wisdom—l allude to the Archbishop of Dublin,
who thus laid down a proposition which for
cte,r-headed truthfulness cannot be excelled.
In a letter addressed to the late E4rl. Grey, the
Arch hop s—" The very system qf a penal colony
contains in itself consider ed os a mode of punishment,
a principle of self destruction, because it not.only aims
at two objects especially at variance with each other,
but also has a constant tendency in practice ta sacrifice
the most important of the two objects to the incidental
and suboraihate one-1 mean the efficucy of the pe-
nalty to the prosperity of the colony."
Tnis sentence, wolch ought to be inscrited in let-
ters of gold for the instruction of the Colonial' - Se-
cretary for the time being, the present Lord Grey
treats as worthless, for he rejoices in his pan, which
avowedly has fur its principal end, not the puniih-
ment of the convict, but the benefit of the settler, who
wants shepherds, although the employment contains
within itself elements essentially opposed both to the
punishment and to the reclamation of the convict, wlin
ought to have steady and constant work, and not that
given by his Lordship's plan, which is employment of
the most idle character.
And yet what a singular combination of important
elements renders the opinion of a Whately most valu-
able upon such a social question. The disciplined
mind of the logician resolved to detect the real cause
of the acknowledged evils—the sagacity of the states-
man desirous that a punishment should be adopted
most likely to deter parties from criminal pursits—
and the philanthropy of the Christian bishop anxious
for the reclamation of the convict; yet Lord Grey
pays no attention to the opinion of such a man, and
pursues a plan in direct contradiction to the principle
it denounced.
Although it must surely be a work of supererog*"
tion, let me now show that Lord Grey's plan is also
bad in relation to the knowledge we have acquired,.-
from experience. it is simply aft extension of the as-
signment
system. Now, if there is one point on this sub?,
ject on which there is greater uniformity of opinion •
than another, it is the baneful effect of the assign.
merit system upon the convict, and upon the colony •
although, no doubt, often useful and profitable to the
individual settler; and if such have been the results
in assignment to farmers in the neighbourhood of
other settlers, must not such evils be increased when
the convict is assigned to the remote wilds of a pas•
toral district with none but associates of his own cha-
racter ?
The only possible way in which the assignment
system can be worked so as to effect both the punish-
ment and the reclamation of the convict is that which
was adopted in the earlier settlements of America,
when a convict was established in the house of the
settler—punished by constant work without wages—
and gradually reclaimed by the influence of the
virtuous habits with which he was surrounded. How
essentially different from the mode of life which must
be pursued by Lord Grey's Arcadian convicts, living
together in a bothy, only occasionally visited by the
proprietor!
Surely the above facts are conclusive against the
priobability of any good arising from the adoption of
Lord Grey's plan. Well, replies his Lordship, if it
does not work well let it be abandoned, as we have al.
ready abandoned every plan which has been tried by
our predecessors and ourselves ; there can be no harm in
trying it, for if it tails we are only where we were.
Indeed! such may be the doctrine, and assuredly has
been the practice, of the Colonial-office on this clues!
;ion, but experience teaches that on this, as on every
other subject of social importance, every step taken
in the wrong direction, necessarily involving great
delay, adds to the difficulty of establishing a proper
system.
Alter the exposure of the evils of the present sys-
tem by the Committee on Transportation, the colonists
would have cheerfully co-operated with the Colonial-
office in carrying into practical operation any well
considered plan for punishing end reclaiming the con-,
vict. A few short years only have elapsed, and they-
have now united in a league to prevent the abolition of
convict transportation to any part of Australia—yet
the Colonial•office thinks there is no harm in delay
Rusticus expectat, defluit amnis.
I am perfectly aware that there are some who think
that the present agitation will soon pass away, becautle 1
it is for the pecuniary interest of the settler and of the
capitalist that the colony should be supplied with cons
vict labour. Whether Lord Grey himself entertains
such opinion, and bas therefore proposed his pre-
sent
plan to pass away time, I have no means of know-
ing, but I firmly believe events will prove such an
opinion to be both absurd and wicked.
An absurd opinion, because there are some subjects
which never recede, among the foremost of which are
those deeply imbued with moral and Christian prin-
ciples. .•
In the first discussion against shivery the .
statesman could predicate its certain downfall, and
the Committee on Transportation have ensured the
abolition of The present system.
A tricked opinion, because it relies upon
.I%.lffrnmon
in opposition to morality, and assumes that the settler
will, for the sake of lucre, be content to expose his
family to the contamitiatieg influences of a convict
population. Instead of the Colonial-office being irri-
tated and angry at the conduct of the settlers in pro-
nouncing against the future transmission of convicts,
it ought to rejoice at the exhibition of such a proper •
feeling as being the surest proof that the inhabitants
were rising in the moral scale ; but no, such conduct,
however gratifying to the philanthropist, gives trouble
to officials, and is therefore denounced and the colo-
nist insulted.

I have the honour to remain, &c.,
RIGBY WASON.

Corwar, Aug. 25, 1851.

RAILWAY Tit.A FIC RETURNS.
THE GREAT NoRTHERN RAILWAY.— (Miles in w0rk,2410
—Return of Traffic for the Week ending Aug 17, 1851:
Passengers, parcels, carriages,
horses, dogs, and mails ...£10.553 19 2
Merchandise and minerals 3,538 3 6
Cattle ... ••• 691 4 9

Total .. 14,763 7 5
Corresponding week, Aug. IR, 18S0 (2:36 mil 4,):
Passetrgers. parcels, &c. ..t1,299 2
Merchandise, Cattle, &e. ..• 1,4' 1 3 7

Total ...
LANCASMIRE AND YORKSHIRE HAD.WAY. (2go miles
open.)—Traffic for week ending Aug. 24...£19,128 7 8
Corresponding week in last year, (253 i
miles open) .. ...£17,601 3 9
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILwAT.—. traffic for the
week eliding Aug. 24 :-..

....£5.701 1 9

MAIN LINZ.

Passengers
Parcels, H. C. and D.
G ods, cattle, &c.
Mails

....£2,952 6 5
83 9 8
6:-3 U 1
... 575 0 0

Total

... £4,243 16 2

Passengers
Parcels, H. C. and D. ...
Goods, cattle, &c. ...

£39 13 3
I 9' 3
102 9 2

Total

... £143 11 8

••• ••• 4
STEAM-BOATS.

Passengers ... ...
Parcels, H. C. and D. ...

... £536 15 4
••• 22 19 0

Total

- £559 14 4

arrangements
complete, and the interior _
BRITISH MUsEHM.—The exterior of new
WI; ia now almost
brick wall and
are in a forward state of progress. The old
the gateway
the unseemly buildings on each aide and above a
f very small
build-
have all been removed with the exception 0
Painted brown
portion, and a high and elegant iron railing
bee
n erected on I
and ornamented with gilding has - each end of the
basement of solid blocks of granite. 1,
A been constructed,
railing square pillars of granite have
m.....rtioni, with
leaving a carriage entrance of gigantictb: . lesion of vi-
iron wicket entrance on either aide,m,'
appearance. Thd Ain-
and presents a chaste and imposing
g five days in the Week,
sitors. The front of the new building can now lie fully seen,
seam is open to the Publicvisitors, principally composed of
and a countless throng of
_o., to see the Exhibition,
country people, who have D;1112 V
d outwards all day long.
may be seen moving inwards
on
„ the ground floor, immediately on
.teuar
arrangede3
Altogether
Bun
The library,
sidewhich is
of the entrance, is now open to the public
the right hand
add
thousands avail themselves of the nitre..
without ticket. to view the extensive collection of vain-
strained admissioTice in the library, and which are admirably
able and rare
the old charter manuscripts and otbet
tncompartments. One of the principal fea.
which displayed in
public dements,
nem. The antiquarian department •
.of the eu . . . is alma sae
gaze and attraction, ana excis the admiration.of OW
object o
wonderment of the '
I rothe . . ignorant in suck rest-'
snit
the British Museum is now, in its eatiCior i
ters,
rauce, one of the handsomeet of our public edificoako
opea
,
akgrAN WITHEEs. Br GRRALDINA F. ;lava"
,
piny.—This Lew tale, by the authoress of
4:7;0442abi:
Half-Sisters," and other works of the first clip.
fiction, will tend to widen and to confirm the tePttorti/rt
already achieved by one of our most sensible, eeriest, well-
informed, and sound of female writers of fiction. The AV'
is one of intense interest. Bliss Jewsbury's men auti.'l'''
are true mortals, with the virtues and failings, the pnero.'"le
affections, inconsistencies, and passi.ins which go to make uP'
in varied proportions, the characters of the male and female
actors on the world's stage. Marian With is
monster which the world ne'er saw, but
" A creature, not too wise or good
For human nature's daily food, no faultless
For transient soi rows, simple wiles,
Praise, blame, love, kisses, tears, and smiles.

A WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN REGENT-LTREET.—
Yestetday morning, at an early hour, the police constable
on duty in Regent-street found the dead budy of a ,NVOITUMk.
lying on the pavement a short distance from Vige-street.
The corpse was removed as speedily as possible to St.
James's Workhouse, in Poland-street, where it was seen by
the medical officer, who found no marks of violence, In-
formation was sent to Mr. Bedford, the cor.,ner," who has
orderecra post mortem examination. The dece4ed appeared
to have been about filly years of age, was of sallow cam•
plezion, attired in blect ?.*4‘, Int gr.:7m; ttd n cen