CONFIDENTIAL.
Miscellane
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PUBLIC RECORD
FICE
C.O.
Reference --
·885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
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Question of the Places in the British Dominions available- for the Reception of Convicts.
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
TUTUL CO.
885
2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
BOTH Committees of Parliament last year agreed that transportation was, desirable according to the Commons Committee so far as Her Majesty's dominions may afford safe and proper facilities;" according to the Lords, Committee, "provided that the system can be carried out with advantage to the Colony, and with satisfaction to the colonists."
No difference of opinion probably will prevail, that transportation is the best of secondary punishments so long as there are large free communities willing to receive and employ the convicts. But unfortunately no such cominu- nities exist. The Cape of Good Hope broke into open rebellion rather than consent. The large Australian Colonies were on the brink of doing the same, when the point was given up. The North American Provinces no one has had the courage to propose for the purpose. Some even of the tropical Govern- ments, such as Ceylon and the Mauritius, have been appealed to; but they earnestly deprecated the introduction of European convicts. There does not exist on the globe any formed society of large extent which is willing to relieve Great Britain of her criminals.
If unwilling, it not only is not expedient or consonant with the usual mode- ration of British policy to force them-it is simply impossible. For since the whole benefit of transportation, as hitherto known, has depended on the employment of the convicts by private settlers, these last need but to decline to employ the convicts, and the Government would be, so to speak, check- mated. It would be no advantage to Great Britain to send her offenders to be permanent able-bodied paupers maintained out of English funds.
The next question, then, is whether there are unoccupied territories, or small and willing communities, which will serve for the reception of convicts. But before entering on this, it may be desirable, for the sake of clearness, to endeavour to form some definite conception of the numbers to be dealt with. Since the alteration of the law in the year 1853, the number of persons annually sentenced to transportation has been about 400, of whom at least one-fourth are from age, sickness, or infirmity, unfit for removal. The punishment may. almost be said to be extinct. It may be revived either by again admitting ten years sentences (which idea is suggested by the Committee of the House of Commons), or by giving the Government a discretion of sending out men sentenced to penal servitude; and something may be said for and against either of these methods. Supposing that by one or the other such an alteration were made in the law as would render not less than 1,000 persons transportable every year, the object of the remainder of this paper will be to inquire whether there is any part of the British dominions to which they could be sent with advantage. The following places have been suggested for the purpose :—
The Falkland Islands.
The Hudson's Bay territory.
Vançouver's Island.
Albert River, at the bottom of the Gulf of Carpentariu,
Western Australia.
The first two are rejected by the Committee of the House of Lords, which
has rendered much valuable service by examining into the geographical part of
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