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VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.
This Colony was left, it will be remem- bered (page 5), with the instructions from Lord Grey dated the 27th of April, 1848, which have formed the basis of the system of convict discipline that has been since pursued. Very favourable reports were
soon afterwards received from Sir William Denison. Those reports stated that large reductions had been made in the esta- blishments; that efficiency had been promoted by retaining the best of the officers; that great improve- ments had been made in the buildings, so as to admit of a proper separation of the convicts, and that the commission of the deplorable crime which infested them had been effectually checked by the measures adopted for its repression.
There can be no doubt that Van Diemen's Land benefited largely by the strenuous efforts made by the Government in 1849 to obtain another outlet for convicts. To New South Wales nearly 1,670 male convicts (chietly as exiles) were sent in the course of that year; only 300 were sent to Van Diemen's Land. This gave time for the Colony to recover the effects of the excessive numbers it had received, and also for executing the local reforms which were in progress. A carefully-digested plan was introduced of employing by task-work those convicts who remain on the hands of Government. Again, it had been stipulated by the British Trea- sury formerly, that the Colony should pay for all
the colonial works executed by the convicts, and the result was, that the Colony declined having the works, and the convicts had nothing useful to do. Lord Grey procured the abolition of this inconvenient rule, and there is no longer a want of beneficial means of employment for convicts whilst chargeable to Government. But no better test can be afforded of improvement, both in the prisoners and in the state of the Colony, than a diminution in the number waiting for employment at the hiring depôts; and this number was progressively reduced
Improvements in Management. Parl. Paper, February 1849,
pp. 116, 143.
Controversy upon Effect of Con- victs on the Moral State of Society,
85.
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from 2,000, in December 1846, to only 38 in December 1851.
Whilst the management of the convicts was thus improving, a great controversy arose upon the effect
of their presence upon the moral state of society in Parl. Paper, July 1849, pp. 26, 68, Van Diemen's Land. The most dismal accounts of that state were offered in letters from some of the colonists, whilst, on the other hand, Sir W. Denison said that he considered it due to the community over which he presided to repel the sweeping charges which were thrown upon it, and he sent home some very able despatches in vindication of the order, and industry, and good conduct of the population of Van Diemen's Land.
Parl. Paper, July 1849, p. 102.
Commons Paper, 1850, p. 40.
P
B
General union of the Australian Colonies against further intro- duction of Convicts.
Parl. Paper, July 1849, p. 211. Parl. Paper, May 1851, p. 188. Parl. Paper, April 1852, p. 98.
Some private settlers espoused the same side. Perhaps, however, the most original and vigorous champion who appeared for the character of the Convict Colonies was Mr. Hall, a gentleman who spent some considerable period ́of his early life in prison on account of libels on the Government, and who could by no one be accused of any undue bias in favour of authority. Provoked by what he con- sidered the hypocrisy and inhumanity of the violent opposition made in New South Wales to the recep- tion of convicts, he addressed to Lord Grey a striking letter, in which he recounted the observa- tions made by him in a long life spent amongst con- victs, and fearlessly asserted a wide extent of reform amongst themselves, and the respectability and value of heir descendants as general n embers of society. Public opinion, however, continued rapidly to declare itself against transportation in Van Diemen's Land and the whole of the adjacent colonies.
An "Australian League" was formed to oppose by all possible means the introduction of convicts into any part of Australia. In New South Wales great public meetings against it took place. In Van Diemen's Land the evils of the over-crowding in 1846, and above all the fearful spread of unnatural crime, had created a feeling of repugnance, which was not to be conquered by subsequent improvements of the system. South Australia protested against the intro- duction of convicts. Victoria has proved its senti- ments by the extreme and harsh measures it has subsequently enacted for repressing the influx of liberated convicts from other places. All the Austra- lian colonies made common cause on this subject.
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