The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-01-31
Social Condition OF Australia.

Inc melbourne argus of September 7 sunnl;ee
Inc 'oiiowlng picture of social life in AustraIia
Inc sketch Is at once an illustration of the u,o,L
ings OF British colonial rule, and conunent.r,
the spirit which leads the British press to elost
over outrages perpetrated on the United States
frontier, while silent as to the disoreanized cond;
ton of an outlying portion of its own empire:
apart from the natural effects of rich povd
I i IN drawing together population Of at
ieast very adventurous character our pear
neighborhood to the island into which Gro.t ~;
n 30 recKessiy persists in pouring the criminals
from her crowded jais has very seriouslv affan,af
~. coanposiuon OF our community. From this
source many thousands of the greatest wretchas.
awe nave reached our shores and the tone ,herah
impaired to our society is one which everv 80
citizen must painfully deplore Added 10 Jfh3s
negngent' ieeole, and incompetent government
nas ny its iaxlty, Its pareimony, and lis absolu,e
imoeclilty, so complicated and fomented the evils
around US, that the social constitution of the
ny Is IN the most wretched condition Crimes of
the most fearful character and degree abound ON
ali sldes; the roads swarm with bush rangers: the
streets with burglars and desperadoes Of every
KIND. In broad daylight, and in our most public =
streets, men have been Knocked down i'll used and
roooed; and shops have been invaded by armed ruff.
mans, VINO have estuck up the inmates and rifaed
tne premises, even situated in crowded thorough
iares. AT night men dare not walk the streets
ahd .nieves appear to be SO thick upon the ground
anu 70 De 90 unceasing in their operations, that
oel 'oin tuey inust OIten ROB each other.
MURDERS OF the most frightfu character have be-
come 80 numerous that they scarcely excite atten-
Uon Tor day; and such lie the ineffciency of our
ponce system that scarcely since the foundation of
.ne colony has any one perpetrator of premedi.
tated murder been brought to justice. The police
are cowed, or leagued with the actors in the out
RACES; witnesses and prosecutors are bribed or in.
W.. .,loa.eo rom appearing; the administration of
Tue law ls fast sinking into contempt case after
case Is 60 confused with perjury and cross swearing
mat the facts are entirely hidden; Jurors are SO
scared with the condition of things around, that
ney are only too eager to return unlavorable ver-
oicts, but this disposition SO complicated BY the
gross lncapacity of one at least of the principal law
ocers OF the crown, that the results are most dis
astrous. 1t Is shocking thing to say it, but we
really believe that in many ofthe cases adjudicated
upon IN our criminal courts, what with perjury
The absence of Witnesses the fears of panic stricken
jurors, and the plumbers of those who conduct the
prosecutions, no more substantial justice is admin
stered than would be the fact if cases we're left to
me chance decision of a toss up We have all
me evils OF lynch law without its vigor and its
oromptltude, and very considerable portion of
ne community make no ceremony of advocating
me introduction of that barbarous and sanguinary
oractice.''