AUCKLAND CHRONICLE. Saturday, December 31, 1842. THE DISPOSAL OF THE PARKHURST BOYS.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 1, Issue 10, 31 December 1842, Page 2

AUCKLAND CHRONICLE. Saturday, December 31, 1842. THE DISPOSAL OF THE PARKHURST BOYS.

We have already urgently directed the attention of the public to the necessity of taking- effectual means to prevent the "model" Colony of New Zealand from being turned .into a Penitentiary for the juvenile delinquents of Great Britain. In making that appeal, we freelv admit that we did not expect from this, as from the New Zealand Company's settlements, a very prompt or very general response. In both cases our anticipations are likely to be realized. Amongst our tellow-colonists in this district, the most influential, and those who have a real stake in the prosperity of the Co'eny, are slowy, but surely, becoming alive to the importance of the subject, and to the expediency of, adopting means to stay the evil. The lead, however, we have reason to believe, will be taken by the settlements at the South. This is not as it shou'd be. If an argument were wanting to pro'e the evil effects of the convictsystem upon the rest of the community, it wou ! d be found in this one fact, that, after all the sad disclosures of the state of social demoralization in the penal Colonies—after what we have witnessed in the Criminal Courts during a twelve-month's residence in Sydney—numbers are to be found in New Zealand, who actually complain that New South Wales should be overlooked, and that this Colony should enjoy the exclusive privilege of being turned into a " 1 enitentiary."

Having protested against any further importation of boys from Parkhurst, our chief concern is now for the welfare of those who have been already sent amongst us. In our former artic e we remarked that, being here, it ;s the duty of us all, to farther, as far as possible, the benevolent views of the Home Government, and to afford them every means in our power of obtaining an honest ii elihood, and of becoming useful and respectable members of society. As regards the welfare of the Colony, we cannot but blame the Home Government in sending these boys to New Zealand; but, as far as we can judge from the *' Instructions' respecting them, great pains seems to have been taken to insure the success of the experiment, as respects the welfare of the boys themselves. From the supplement to the Government Gazette, (November 2,) it appears that the most careful provision has been made for their wellbeing. The Governor himself, and a gent e nan to be speedi y appointed as their Guardian, are to be parties to the disposal of them as apprentices. Now, we have heard that some of these boys have been sent to the Great Barrier, Island, but to whom they have been apprenticed, we know not. The Barrier is an island 40 or 5 > miles from Auckland; and the only business at present carried on there, that we are aware of, is the working of a copper mine. The boys are stated to be tailors and shoemakers. There is no church, we believe, there; and there is no Magistrate resident at the Barrier. Under these circumstances, and looking at the following published " Regulations," we need scarcely say we cannot believe, that any of the Parkhurst boys have been apprenticed there. The 9th published Regulation directs, that, in placing out the Boys, " reference shonld be had, as much as posssible, to their respective trades;" 10th, n That the Governor be required to place them with those settlers only, in whose respectability and character there is reason to confide;" and to give the preference " to Masters who reside within such a distance of the seat of Government, as to admit of their being frequently seen by a Government Officer;" 20th. " That the masters be required to attend to the boys' 1 moral and religious we'fare, and t© see that b« attends

Divine Worship on the Sabbath, as far as circumstances will admit. The District Magistrate is to visit them frequently, to hear their comp aints, and see that the terms of their articles are properly kept. W he'ther the experiment be proceeded with or not, one thing is quite certain ;. being an experiment the mode in w' ich it has been conducted, and the resu.t, will be strictly inquired into by the authorities at home. One of the fr t duties of the new Governor on his arrival in the Colonv will probably be to inquire into, and report upon, the disposal of these boys, and the general working of the s : stem. \\ ith this ( ertainty of a rigid investigati n, it is r.ot probable that any of these boys have been apprenticed at the Barrier.