The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-27 00:00:00

THE PREVENTItiN OF CRIME.

LETTER VI,

TO HIE RIGHT HON. SIR GEORGE GREY,
BAILT., M P., &c. -

Sir —Tne first time the Wakefield system of colo-
nization was brought under my attention I observed,
that if the public approve of this plan lEsop has
written in vain one of his best fable:, tbr it would not
be possible to give a more striking instance of the
folly of those who killed the goose for the sake of the
golden eggs ; and on mentioning this opinion to one
of the most sagacious of the directors in the blew
Zealand Company, be was so struck with its truth
that he requested me to write to him upon the sub-
ject. Other avocations, however, interfered, and I lost
sight of the subject.
Every p9rson who has given attention to the sub-
ject of emigration is aware that the great majority of
those who emigrate with the view of settling as agri-
culturists (and these are the most valuable of emi-
grants) is the want of capital. This is the difficulty,
and yet all the emigration companies, acting upon the
Wakefield system, increase this difficulty, and thereby
either prevent the intending emigrant from starting,
or so cripple his resources that he is comparatively
unable to benefit either himself or the colony ; for
before the settler can enter on the land he is obliged
to pay one pound per acre. True, they say to him,
we will spend the money in the best manner for your
benefit, but pay your pound an acre.
The would• be settler replies, I have a large family,
whom I shall have to support for some time before I
can expect sufficient crop for the land; many imple-
ments to buy ; our passage to pay for ; and my whole
capital is 500/. My family and myself require 200
acres at least, and if I have to pay you 2001. I fear
the remainder will not be sufficient to give me a fair
start. The only rejoinder is, the rule is inflexible,
you must pay one pound per acre; and yet legislators
affect surprise that the middle class do not emigrate.
What would be thought of the sagacity of a land-
lord in this country who, having
,a farm to let, and
being applied to by a tenant of only sufficient capital
to cultivate the land, was to require that he should
lay out 5001. or 1,0001. of that capital in erecting
buildings; would not the reply, "If I were to agree
to this I should not have sufficient capital to cultivate
your land with advantage," be conclusive, and yet is
not this precisely the same as requiring a settler to
pay for his land ?
But the plan which I would propose entirely ob-
viates this absurdity. If the would-be settler, with
a capital of 5001., requires 200 acres, instead of
fleecing him of the 2001., I would only require him
to deposite it previous to his having a provisional
title, and upon arrival in the colony he should be able
to draw every shilling he required for his farming
purposes. Nay, I would go further. Suppose him
to be unable to pay the 200/., and he was known by
his relatives and friends to be an honest and indus-
trious man, sure to do well if he had a fair start, I
would take their security that the 2001. should be re-
paid within ten years.
With such a system as this, the lots all ready for
occupation, and a few acres in crop, can any reason-
able doubt be entertained that the settlers would be
very numerous ? And I would permit no man to
purchase land except those of good character in their
respective neighbourhoods ; and, beyond this, I
would introduce a part of the feudal principle, but in-
stead of the land being forfeited on non-compliance
with some folly, it should be absolutely forfeited if
the owner were convicted of crime.

Like the adoption of wise measures both in public
and private life, numerous advantages would neces-
sarily occur ; and, however useful they might
be, they should never be suffered to interfere,
either directly or indirectly, with the sole end of the
proposal, which is to provide the very best possible
place for reformed convicts, effectually guarding, as
far as human nature will permit, against exposing
them to temptation.
The consequential advantages which would arise
from the adoption of the plan are-
1. It would prevent the evils necessarily arising
from a colony founded by a convict population.
2. It would not cost the country a shilling ; the
sale of the land would far more than repay every
outlay.
But then there is the ever ready objection, " Oh, it
would be impossible to carry out the plan." My reply
is, adopt the same wise conduct which you have
carried out with respect to prisons ; give Colonel Jebb
a carte blanche, without any interference from go-
vernors, or comptrollers, or officials of any descrip-
tion ; let him be responsible only to yourself and to
Parliament, and so fer from being difficult, its prac-
tical execution would be most easy.
I have the honour to remain, Sir,
Your very obedient and faithful servant,
RIGBY WA SON.
London, Nov. 22.

REFORM AS IT IS NOT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—The favourite " argument " with the oppo-
nents of reform appears to be a reference to the ex-
travagant schemes ascribed to the ultra-democratic
party on the continent. The unsettled state of
France is perpetually instanced with the endeavour to
delude Englishmen into the belief that such will
inevitably be the condition of this country unless a
retrograde rather than a forward movement is made
by the Legislature. Avoiding, for the occasion, all
reference to the monarchical factions which have for
so many years disturbed France—the antagonistic de-
signs of Bonapartists, Legitimatists, and Orleanists—
they unhesitatingly lay the whole blame of the agi-
tations which exist in that country upon men whose
crime consists in their believing a republican to be
more consistent with liberty than a monarchical go
vernment. How few like Lamartine could have
governed the revolutionary spirit which had been
provoked by the obstinacy of his predecessors, and
which he knew so well at once how to humour and
restrain ! And yet all the plots, real, fancied, and
invented, with which France is said to be undermined,
and the wild speeches at Socialist banquets, which
probably owe not a little of their inspiration to the
auxiliaries of a feast, are unscrupulously declared to
arise from the political part taken by him in 1848.
English reformers are treated with equal fairness.
There is the same insidious attempt to confound re
form and progress with rapine and rebellion. To as-
sert that constituencies of only two or three hundred
electors are not entitled to an equal representation with
those of twenty or thirty thounond, is to be all of a
piece with the " determined Chartist," who designed
ro set fire to the dresses of a score or two of ladies in
Kensington-gardens by way of an onto-de-fe.
Such is the chief opposition which is offered by the
opponents of reform, with the view, es they ere
pleased to say, of maintaining " our glorious consti-
tution" unimpaired. But, like the very best machi-
nery, this constitution of ours, wise as it is in prin-
ciple, is yet susceptible of improvement, and in need
of continual repair. Reform to be of avail must be a
constant work. As the population of some places in•
creases, whilst that of others decreases in proportion,
so the representation must be re-adjusted, or it ceases
to be representation at all; laws should be modified
when the circumstances under which they were
framed are changed, and fresh claims upon the
nation arise to supersede others which have had the:
day. Unless such changes are effected, the constitu-
tion loses in substance what it retains only in form.
In this respect our opponents profess to think differ-
ently. They could not venerate it were it simply
old; they must have it decrepid also.
They cling to
it, it is true, but only as the ivy to a tree, with a sem-
blance of protection, though in truth exhausting its
vitality and speeding its decay. We wish to see it
healthy and vigorous, and cleared of the corruptions
to which they are attached. But this, it is to be
feared, would be to strip it of too much that is glo-
rious. They are perfectly satisfied with it astitliexistsli
so they connect reform with anarchy b
" is the " Shut
word, " our glorious constitution,.,
cave of spoils
Sesame," by which they close the
improvement innovation •; and their favouriteysy wnagtcah-
against all intruders.
of those_ who have
And this is the
policy not only
but but of others who
been always opposed to r
the na-
tionhen the voice of
have supported it at a time w
wish to see reforms effected withtr greaer care and
earnestness, and, it may be, greater
an_honesty than they
was too loud to be slighted or mistaken.t We
tutes our criminality.
have as yet been compelled
.todidottlm
ids, this co
far
far
not to oso far is to
shalt thou go, and no further;
g
be a simpleton, to go farther isrebellion at the very
least.
:If the present reactionary. struggle in Europe
ht .the • emns middle class
should succeed, either by frig
into passiveness through the misinterpretation. de-
scribed, or by direct military oppression, the aspira-
tions of liberty may be repressed, but they cannot be
policy, and that of our own
is not deficient in warnings
illustration.
found When Charles
Thor
~
eoxf ttihneg udanger
. of
rs Historyue such
a
country affords an apt
,the people
in the unsettled state which is the inevitable conse-
quence of sudden changes in forms of government;
the Second ascended the throne, he
and he availed himself of this to rule with a despotism
to which the people were too divided an
in fancied
d harassed to
offer an effectual opposition. James,
se-
curity, chose to follow the example of his brother
rather than take warning by that of his father ; and
through his attempt further to subdue the people
by the introduction of the spiritual slavery of Rome,
still
he suffered in his signal downfal and disgrace for the
upon
ao them,
profit by the or their
faults both of himself and his predecessor. And so
assuredly
gfaerllneussp
exigencies of the present are so rash as to forget the
lessons of the past.—l am, Sir, &c.,
posterity,
who retribution
t h
eir e a
A RADICAL.

Nov. 22, 1850

The Leeds intelligeneer states teat the Hon. John
Stapleton, brother of Lord Beaumont, has left the Church of
Dome.