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Appendix No. 6.

Formerly

Convict.

Bond.

Total

Convict.

Always free.

Total.

27,000

10,800

37,800

149,500

187,300

Van Diemen's Land.-From Sir William Denison's Report on Statistics, dated January 20, 1849, it appears that the People might be classed on 31st December, 1847, as follows:-

Formerly Convict.

Bond.

Total

Convict.

Always free.

Total.

11,500

27,500

39,000

40,500

79,500

Thus at the respective dates of these Returns there were in the Australian Colonies about 76,800 persons who were actually, or had been, Convicts. But a correction is to be made on the one hand for subsequent mortality, and on the other hand for subsequent importations. The mortality will be allowed for at the large rate of 3 per cent. :—

New South Wales :-

Convict Population, March 1846

37,800

Deduct Mortality at 3 per cent. per annum for 34 years

4,075

Remaining

33,725

Add fresh Importations

3,175

Total in New South Wales, January 1, 1850

36,900

Van Diemen's Land :-

Convict Population, December 1847

39,000

Deduct Mortality at 3 per cent. per annum for 2 years

2,304

Remaining

36,696

Add fresh Importations

2,504

Total in Van Diemen's Land, January 1, 1850

39,200

Grand Total in Australia, January 1, 1850

76,100

Hence it would appear that the total in Australia still exceeds 76,000; or that, deducting 28,000 assumed to continue bond, there are 48,000 more who were in that condition formerly.

Extracts of some of Sir W. Denison's Despatches containing such passages as relate to the number of Convicts who could be received annually in Van Diemen's Land.

THE first of the following extracts refers more especially to the number who could be received if the Probation system had been continued, but it is presented here in order to show the opinions which were entertained by the Lieutenant-Governor at that time.

I. Sir W. Denison, July 10, 1847.

Your Lordship will see that the Comptroller-General is of opinion that, with the Parliamentary Pa- means at his disposal, and the improvements consequent upon the changes already introduced pers of May 1848, or about to be so, 2000 male Convicts might be sent out annually, and the Probation system page 81. carried out as regards that number to a modified extent. I cannot, however, agree with him

in this. I do not think that the necessary buildings could be erected; neither do I think, from what I have seen of those at his disposal, that officers could be found capable of working the system satisfactorily. Even, however, were the Comptroller-General correct, there are many other reasons which I conceive would render a further trial of the Probation system in this colony very unadvisable; these, however, will be detailed in another part of this despatch.

II. Sir W. Denison, June 27, 1848.

"In order to give your Lordship an idea of the amount of labour which might annually Parliamentary Pa-

be absorbed by this colony, it will be sufficient to refer to the statistics of the Convict depart per of February ment, from which it appears that from 1841 to 1846 about 20,000 male convicts were 1849, page 247. imported, or at the average rate of about 3,600 per annum; between the 1st of April, 1846, and the 1st of April, 1848, upwards of 10,000 persons have emigrated from the colony, and it is probable that this, which only shows the number since a record has been kept, falls far short of the actual amount of an emigration which is still going on at the same rate as during the two years before mentioned.

"This being the case, and the supply of labour in the colony being still sufficient, it would appear that 20,000 men, diminished by emigration to the extent of at least 15,000, have been sufficient for the labour of this colony for six years, or that about 700 or 800 men per annum would for the present supply the extra demand for labour in Van Diemen's Land."

The Comptroller-General at this date made the following remark :-

“The Estimate No. 13 shows that the demand for pass-holder labour may be expected Ibid., page 253.

to exceed the supply during the next twelve months, and that the embarrassing difficulties formerly experienced respecting the disposal of the labour of the convicts in the second stage

of probation are therefore now completely at an end."

III. Sir W. Denison, September 28, 1848.

→ I see, now, however, that the Legislature of New South Wales have adopted a pro- Parliamentary Pa- position submitted to it by your Lordship, that convicts should be forwarded to that colony per of July 1849, upon conditions similar to those enumerated in your Lordship's despatch, namely, that their page 66. wives and children should be sent out with or after them, and that an equivalent number of free emigrants should be forwarded at the same time.

The whole state of things is altered by the adoption of this scheme. The demand for labour is very great in New South Wales; the prices which the settlers are now paying are such as to absorb a large portion of the profit of their capital. Capital, therefore, no longer flows into that colony as it used to do, and great distress exists among the land- nollers. With us this is not the case, though were emigration to continue from hence at the same rate at which it has done for the last few years, a similar state of things would be produced.

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"An importation of labour, whether convict or free, into New South Wales, would bring down the price of labour there, would create a more wholesome state of things as regards the relation of master and servant, would induce a flow of capital into the country, promote in every way its prosperity.

"As regards this colony the effect would be to check the emigration from hence; for as soon as the price of labour was reduced in New South Wales, the temptation held out to persons to leave this colony would cease.

"I would submit, therefore, to your Lordship, that it would be desirable to forward all the convicts, under whatever name they may be transported, whether pass-holders or ticket- of-leave men, at once to New South Wales, and to continue this until the rate of labour in that colony is reduced nearly to that which prevails here.

"We have at present sufficient labour to answer our purposes; and the natural advan- tages of climate, and the artificial advantages of better means of communication which we possess, will be sufficient to enable us to participate in all the benefits which would by this measure be conferred upon the sister colony.

"What I wish most particularly to impress upon your Lordship is, the necessity of looking upon these colonies as one great whole with reference to this subject."

These extracts are by no means offered as presenting a complete view of all the Governor's opinions on the labour question, as this probably could only be afforded by the whole of his correspondence, but they have been selected as the principal passages which appeared to bear directly upon the subject.

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