The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-27
ENGLISH IN AUSTRALIA
PROFESSOR MORSE STEPHENS At
YALE SHEEEIELD LECTURE.


ditious and Future Prospects of the
Island d-Continent-PoliticaI Problems
VIII Australia Separate Herself from
the Mother Country?
A large audience greeted Professor
Morse Stephens, last evening, at Shelf
field Scientific school to hear his ac
count of Australia, and the influence
of the mother country upon her future.
The lecture was full of interesting data
regarding the present condition of the
land, CLEANED from the lecturerss per-
sonal experience and wide reading on
the subject.
Professor Morse stephens said, in
part:
Some Australian novelists have de-
lighted in depicting the horrors of the
convict system in Australia. Marcus
Cobbs has spared no pains in making
the picture as vividly horrible as pos
sible. So one turns with relief to an
other school which has presented a
much brighter view. For the convict
system was not wholly bad. 1t had it's
CLEANS of hope. Many felons after their
terms of penal servitude We're over built
houses rapidly gained wealth. and, be-
ing men of intelligence, won for them
selves and families prominent places
in the country's history The Convict
Period" as it is called is the most in
teresting in Australian history. 1t was
EN- til 81,
onization. From 1928 to 1S45l large
numbers of farmers came to New
South Wales, and rapidly began to de-
velop the country. The result was a
long and bitter conflict between the
convict population. and the emigrants,
the convicts holding that Australia be-
longed to them and their children. For
many years the governors experienced
much trouble in keeping the peace, un-
til the free element became so strong
that in 1858 convicts We're no longer
sent to the island.
New Zealand, 1t must be remembered,
is entirely separate from Australia. If
you wish to insult a New Zealander
you want to call him an Australian.
The enmity is due to the difference of
VI Aeoiii' AiC ptopiC u ANCN HCoidid al 2
descendants of one George Williams, a
missionary, who purchased large tracts
of land from the natives in return for
a large quantity of supposed bliss in a
future life, The native population are
Maori a big stalwart race. New Zea
lands treatment of these savages is
such that no Englishman can think of
| it without blush Tt was a system
of brow-beating and unjust interfer-
ence, with race whose chief fault was
that they refused to be killed off rap
idly enough to suit the progressive in
vader. These Moaris were brave SOL
diers and like the Zulus more than once
defeated the English armies. But these
robust aborigines have at last conclud-
ed that the fight against the white race
is unprefitable, and are raidly conform
ing themselves to Anglo-S Saxon civiliza-
tion. They are apt students, progress
i've withal and to-day they have sew
eral representatives in the Colonial
parliament more than one of whom
have taken prominent positions
| Australia proper is divided in several
district colonies, the oldest of which is
New South Wales. who regards her
self as chief of the sisterhood This Is
the greatest sheep region in the world ;
the squatter kings there are said to
| own as many as fifty million sheep.
Through all its history New South
| Wales has been connected with the
convict system, yet she has developed
distinctive civilization of her own.
1t was this colony which headed the
movement against England and won
for herself an independent government.
England has learned from her eight
eenth century experience that a people
far away do not like to be controlled
by a government sitting at London.
Sir William Wentworth will ever be the
| hero of this strife. He was not a
| Washington, and the strife was blood
| less, for England gave way. So self
government has been given from one to
another, and finally to all the colonies.
Since this, however, New South Wales
has taken a most conservative position.
| Victoria, section originally belong
4! ing to New South Wales, is the smallest
! yet wealthiest and most populous Of
| the colonies. This is due to the fact
that the squatter population was some
| time ago reinforced by the gold mob
These amalgamated and formed a most
| democratic people, in which the Irish
element may be very plainly seen. 1t
comes out In all sorts of sociological
schemes.
| Tasmania is a beautiful region; it is
often called the playground Of Aus
tralia. 1t is a delightful country, filled
with fruit, flowers and charming land
scape effects. Formerly 1t was quite
different This Is the original Van Die
mans Land-so called because it was
the scene of the worst atrocities of the
convict system.
| West Australia at one time presented
an amusing picture. Some emigrants
were persuaded to go out and occupy
this Utopia. They are represented as
coming out with brooms. carriages and
cases of champagne. They are found
| sleeping in carriages and using the
wine cases as tables. This did not last
| long. Soon they became discouraged
and returned to England.
| The chief problem before Australia
| to-day is her relation to the mother
| country The colonies have at present
absolute self-government. On some
! legislative questions she has more pow
er than the English parliament itself
True, there is governor sent out from
] London and he is the representative OF
! the queen. But his chief business is