The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-10


Convicts.
The Californis papers are complaining-and very |
justly, toothat, within the last year or year and
hall, large numbers of British convicts have emf
grated TO that couatry from the penal colonies OF
Van Deman's Land and New South Wales. The
numerous murders, thefts, and robberies in the
mines, mad generally throughout California, are
attributed to those convicts, and loud complaints
are uttered of the evil.
We are very much disposed to believe that those
complaints are not without foundation. When the
existence of vast gold deposits in our new State
was confirmed, and generally made known, adven-
turers from all parts of the worldof all characters
and descnphons-hocked there, with the expecta-
ton of becoming wealthy in a short time, without
labor-a great many of them being from Van Die
mans Land and New South Wales. These being
penal colonies, it is reasonable to suppose that
many of those emigrants were convicts who had
ESCAPED from there, or whose term Of imprisonment
had expired. The emigration of the latter was, no
doubt, encouraged, if the expense of transporting
them to California was not actually paid, by the
British authorities in those places the easiest and
cheapest method of getting rid of them. 1t will be
recollected that, few months since, number of
convicts were pardoned by the authorities of Der.
muda, on condition that they would depart for the
United States, and free passages were provided for
such of them as chose to avail themselves of the
offer. Many of them arrived at New York and
Boston, but were promptly sen, back to the place
from which they came, by the authorizes of those
cities.
In many cases, no doubt, the State prison and
the penitentiary in the United States, have re-
formed criminals who, from dissipation, bad COM
/ mr. nd in ay,n ks in
duced to commit! crime ; but it is a very doubtful
matter whether reformation in any case, can take
place from the prison or transportation system of
England. That system VIGOROUSLY tends still fur
ther to degrade the vicious and the demoralized;
and an importation of those who have graduated
under it, cannot, in the nature of things, be but
curse TO any community II is no wonder that our
fellow citizens of California are complaining but
they have it in their power TO arrest the evil,
if they had not in the first place. They can stop
the further importation of convics, by insisting
that the government agents and authorities shall
see that the laws of Congress on the subject are
faithfully observed They should closely scruti-
nze the list of passengers of every ship that arrives
in California from the British penal settlements,
and the United States officers should prosecute
rigidy every ship captain who violates them. II a
Il
not be troubled with the presence of any additional
convicts among them.
short time SINCE there was an immense rob-
berry of gold dust on the Isthmus OF Panama and
by all accounts, there is an organized band OF
armed robbers there, who are continually watching
the arrivals OF treasure at Panama, and stealing it
while il Is on lis way TO Chagres There is doubt
In our mind, that these highwaymen are mostly
uho ind IL
accumulate gold in California, have made their
way 10 the ls,hmus for the express purpose of rob-
bing the transportation trains. The forwarders of
merchandise, and the express agents on that route,
should at once organize an armed force TO protect
their trains and with the assistance of the author
ties of New Granada, pursue and capture the rob-
bers, and bring them to punishment. 1t is very
probable that the New Canadian government
would unite in such movement Until something
of the Kind is done, there will be no security for
either life or property on the lsthmus.
REFeRM IN THE NAvY.-There has recently
come under our notice, pamphlet entitled "Sug-
gestions upon Naval Reform, by few Sea Officers
of both the Line and the Staff" which contains
many suggestions towards efccting reform in
our naval service, which ought to be impressed on
every member Of Congress and we hope that the
little work. which may be termed nahum IN p1rpo,
will be distributed extensively throughout the
country Reform in the navy is a ubject which is
fixed firmly in the public mind, and not Withstand
ing the glory which it has reflected on the country
In times past, the people will become recon-
ciled 10 IL, or willing pay the vast sums OF
money which i costs annually to support il,
until that branch Of the national defence shall
have been refomed-until, in compliance with
the suggestion Of the Secretary Of the
Navy, e retired list is established for de-
cayed ofiicers-uni the principle of seniority in
promotions s abolished-until merit, and merit
alone, shall be the stepping stone to preferment,
and until the service be rendered less arisocratc,
and more democratic, than i, lie.
One OF the great objections to the system under
which the navy ID at present managed ID, that no
matter how brave, or heroic, or capable, or ia
Tented, young man in the navy may be-no mat
Ter how often he may have rsked his life in serving
his eountry-no matter how calamity he may have
behaved himseli-promotion is no nearer to him
than II he had acted the coward, or If he had been
a worthless scamp disgrace TO the navy, Instead
Of an ornament 10 il. He has only to continue in
the service, TO live long enough, and if he should
survive, he will, according to the absurd priacple
of seniority, pass through all the grades, compe-
tent or incompetent, and in course Of time be a
captain or commodore. We venture 10 say that no
better system than this could be invented by the !
ingenuity Of man, for rendering the navy useless
and expensive, and, We might add, disgracefu
arm Of the public service What inducement does
u hold out 10 ardent, patriotic and intelligent
young officers, TO emulate the bravery and heroism
Of The men who have fought our naval battles tn
umphantly in times past, and reflected glory on
their country which history shall ever record |
None-not particle. On the contrary, il holds /
out inducements to the lazy, the indolent, and the
unworthy. The consequence 10, that We are daily |
hearing Of passed midshipmen, who would be a \
credit to any naval service in the world, leaving I
the service IN disgust and accepting situations as