PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference -
885
6
of Government have been much employed in building their own prison, and constructing the roads and landing-places connected with it: and yet the deputa- tion said that great progress had been made by the Colony already. Flour, of which the price had been up to 351. or 401. per ton, had fallen to 201. When ane proprietor was asked what had enabled him to bring so much produce to market, he replied, "The convicts. Until they came, I could not cultivate my fields."
Another said that he had found means to enlarge all his transactions, because now his books and accounts were kept by a liberated convict, who was very skilful, and in whom he placed entire confidence.
Under these circumstances, the arguments for resorting to Western Australia stand somewhat as follows: The people of Great Britain are determined to send some of their offenders abroad: the people of Western Australia are most anxious to receive them; and what possible motive therefore can there be for looking to remote, or desert, or inclement places for this purpose, when a Colony offers itself which enjoys one of the finest climates in the world, and which affords a prospect of employment in its mines, its forests, and its lands suited to the growth of corn?
It is perfectly true that the state, after a few years, of a population annually recruited by large numbers of offenders from home, may be looked forward to with alarm. An attempt may be made to palliate the evil by attracting some share of free settlers, and especially a reasonable proportion of females. The difficulty is great, because free immigrants of the labouring classes cannot co-exist with large importations of convict labourers in a community of very limited resources; whilst free settlers of capital will not select a struggling convict Colony in preference to the flourishing gold countries on the eastern coast. To effect this desirable object, the Committee of the House of Lords desires that a lower price of land may be tried, and the experiment may be made, but experience forbids much hope of success; for settlers are found to look to the value of land and not to its price. This objection, however, of a growing excess in the number of male convicts is inherent in transportation itself and is not stronger, but on the contrary weaker, in Western Australia than elsewhere. For here there exists at least the nucleus of that free popula- tion which it would be the object of the Government to introduce, whatever might be the territory selected for the settlement of convicts.
Statistics.
Before closing this paper it is possible that some statistical information may be desired. Unfortunately there is no very accurately distinguished return of the population of Western Australia; the following, however, is believed to be a correct approximation.
7
tion. Twice again, in 1794 and 1795, they were rescued from perishing through Collins, pp. 338, famine by opportune arrivals from England. A Committee of the House of 351, 357, 421, 422. Commons sitting in 1812, says :-" Of 10,452 inhabitants, 4,277 are wholly or
in great part victualled from the public store." Some further particulars are placed in the Appendix to this paper, showing the progress, and part of the cost, of New South Wales in its first twenty-two years, ending in 1810.
Van Diemen's Land was not more fortunate. The inhabitants went through West's "Tasmanin." repeated periods of scarcity and distress. It was not until the export of wool vol. i, p. 41.. was established, and an influx of free settlers was thereby created, that these Colonies really flourished; and then, no doubt, they became capable of absorbing large numbers of prisoners, with a degree of advantage which can never be enjoyed except amidst a numerous free population able and willing to give the convicts employment.
T. F. E.
Colonial Office,
January 10, 1857.
=
Population on 31st December, 1855-
Male.
Free
5,000
Female. 4,300
Convicts-
Bond
2,175
Pardoned or time-expired. 1,361
3,536
8,536
Add females..
4,300
12,836
Captain Tench, jquoted
in West's Tasinania,"
vol. ii, p. 124.
Total population
A table is placed in the Appendix, exhibiting in certain given periods the whole number of male convicts transported to Australia since the commence. ment of the practice. It will be seen that in the whole of the first twenty-two years ending on the 1st of January, 1810, New South Wales had only received 7,171 convicts, or an average of 326 per annum. It would be a great mistake to suppose that these great Australian Settlements, as they have now become, were at first successful. The whole population of New South Wales is recorded, in the year 1792, to have repaired to the beach with tears and thanksgiving at the sight of a vessel from England, which delivered them from the fear of starva-
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