The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11,1863.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 15, 11 December 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11,1863.

The question of transportation to any .->f the colonies of Australia, though apparently shelved for the present, cannot be said to have received its final solution. There are stiil a large number of the lead in q* men of Great Britain, who, whatever may be the opinions they hold as to the fairness. of the system, in i-s relation to the Colonists, are ready at any moment to make the well-being of the off-shoots subservient to that of the parent stock — who are willing to burden the British dependencies with the out-pourings of the gaols of the old country. And even the colonists themselves are not unanimous in their wish to preserve the stream of immigration free from taint. In Western Australia a strong party exists at the present time, which would gladly welcome a fresh influx of convicts, and, had it; not been for the strenuous exertions of gentlemen who had_ lived for years in Australia, and seen the baneful effects of the system, we should, by this time, have had probably to record its renewal, as far as that settlement is concerned, We, in New Zealand have, until the last few years, had, comparatively speaking, but little to fear from such a. course of action. Direct convict immigration has never found its way to our shores, and the distance separating us from the Australian continent is so great that special circumstances were required before the matter became ot much moment to us. The discovery of the Otago Gold fields, and the greatdecline chat has taken place io the prosperity of those of Victoria, have created such special circumstances, and, however much we bave caus-e for congratulation iv the fact that, owing to vigilant police, crime in the Middle Island has hitherto been kept within what way be cal.'ed moderate bounds, it is indisputable,' that 1 the Worst class of criminals which has, siuce the gold dbcover'es, figured nt Supreme Court Sessions', has not been recruited

from tlie class of direct, immigrant.** to New Zealand, but has found, ifs way over here, from amongst the 'convict population of Australia, bavins!, in the first instance, been transported fiom Great Britain. It is not only to the penal settlements, nor ro those that have atone time been penal settlements, tliat' the evil is to be traced . for a convict, whether he Were oriirinally transported for life/or for some shorter period, hacl it aKvays in his power to materially shorten, by yood cori'luct, the tetm of his punishment. He mf-rht not be permitted to r- turn fo 12nuland, but the Colonies were open to him, and thousands availed themselves of the liberty. We have before ts a paper' entitled " Transportation considered as Punishment, and as a mode of found in«r | Colonies," which was read b-'fore tlie [ "" British Association for the advance--, ment of Science," at. Newcastle, a Tew months ago; and the views of the author, Robert li. Torrens, RegistrarGeneral of South Australia, are, from his intimate acquaintance with his subject, and his long residence in the Colonies, worthy of every consideration. Our space will not permit us to review at ai}y great length this very remarkable production, we will, however, pivea few extracts, merely premising that the opinions of rhe author are totally at variance with those expressed in the Report of the lloyal Commission on Transportation ancl Penal Servitude, recently presented to the British Parliament. " If,'' says Mr. Torrens — Tiie result of our inquiry should mako ifc apparent, as I believe it will -do, that these Cuninissioners, "influenced, no cloubfc unconsciously, by the prevalent -panic induced by rapid increase in crime of an aggravated and violent character , the natural product of rnistwfken ltfxity "-in criminal discipline, have been carried away by the epidemic desire for the extrusion of criminals, wiihoiit considering- the effect upon the embryo criminal population left behind, or upon the communities which they propose to deluge with tiie criminal element— theiijin su-jli case, by placing-; this question before the public in its true 'light, arid opportunely, ere the Executive .power .has become, committed, by any overt act, to the policy recommended by tlie C mraissioners, we shall render good service, and add to the many benefits conferred Upon the country by this society. We have already stated that though nothing more may be done in the matter just at present — at all events, as far as Australia is concerned — still it seems probable that at no distant period, the British Government will renew the attempt to relieve themselves of a burden which appears to be 'growing intolerable. ■\fter alluding to the fact that the Commission neglected to examine, or j^ave no weight to the testimony of some very important witnesses, who were available at the time of their sitting — as, for instarsce, Sir Henry Young, and Sir Charles Cooper — we are told : — " Sir Charles vo'untarily tendered bis evidence, but the Commission declined to receive it — Ha<f the Commissioners received the proffered evidence, they -'Wtiuld ha re been informed that transportation, tested in every conceivable form, hau proved a failure, whether regarded as a de-terrs-nt to t.ho.-e lapsing into crime,_or as a reformatory t>) those already enrolled amongst tho criminal class: and that, whil.-tentailinc enormous exueuse up -n the mother country, it demoralised the social condition and retarded tlie material procress of tlie coiumuuitics which it ,. r ;is supposed to . b. mfit. I The description of how a convict's life has passed in Western Australia, since the resumption of transportation in 13.J-5, is we.i worth perusal. The convict, after a couple of years, or so, becomes a " ticket-of-leave-man," and another two years gives him his conditional pardon, and he can remove to the n -i<r'ibo»-inn colonies, where the cities of Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney afford an ample field for the practice of his former piofesston : — The convict, on arrival, undergoes solitary confi -enienfc, and this, the only portion of thesrstern t tat can, without a gross abuse of terms, be designated formidable, is doled out to all alike without regarding degrees. of criminality, fbr the uniform peri'id of nine months. T is b.ief period of punisam nt over, the convict is thenceforth in a position, havi g regard as well to immediate phys'cil requirements as to future prospects, fr superior to that of the honest laborer of tlii.^ country With some thirty or forty of his comra:les, under the guidance of a constable usually chosen from the gang, he is marched into the iv» terior, where he is to sojourn for a peiio.l of from one to five years, proportioned by the term of his sentence, which period may however bo reduced oiie-fourth, in case of good conduct, and is also shortened bydeduc iag four months spent on the vova-^e. There lie is comfortably hutted, well clothed, aad led with an abundance of bread, beef, mutton, tea, sugar, &c, varied occasionally by game of his own taking, or procured from the natives. Tae daily labor exacted is light, not more lhan is calculated lo promote healthy digestion and sound sleep. The evenings .sre pas-ed agreeably round the camp iircs, with pipes and tea'- the cup that doers, but not inebriates," whilst the bold cracksman recounts his deeds of burglary and violence, stirring the spirits of his auditors to emulate his daring, "and ott the merry song goes round, and oft the jest." Nor is improvement lost sight of in those hours of relaxation. The gaiotter's han icralt is playfully exhibited in the harmless practical joke, and the exquisitely delicato touch of the professional pickpocket is kept in practice by abstracting pebbles, deposited tor that purpose in his neighbor's pouch: Captain Kennedy, governor of the penal settlement, naively enough describes this phase of eouvict life. "Yes, they do prefer it TiiC3' have a greater swing ; discipline is less severe, and there is less routine. Tiiey like that sort of free and easy life better." Speaking of the Australian colonists as a whole, Mr Torrens says in conclusion : — I have lived amongst thorn for twenty years, and thoroughly understand their sentiments upon thh question, and whilst tiie statistical tables of Western Australia prove thafc threefourths of the expirees and conditionally pardoned leave that settlement, and their presence in the j adjacent colonies is only too sensibly indicated by the increase of crime, the nominal limitation of transportation to Western Australia is felt to bo a flimsy pretence ; that in all its baneful influences " trnnsj)orlation to Western Australia means transportation, to the Australian, colonies at large." If the Home Government should again deliberate on the advisability of supplying Western Australia with a further convict population, thecolonists of every settlement in New Zealand should do all in their power to second the efforts, which will be made elsewhere to avert what, we must consider as a national calamity. Some few weeks since, we were glad to have the opportunity of passing commendations on tbe re-awalcened activity ofthe members of. the. Town Board. Like many others, we were under the impression that they had become more alive to the important interests of the

town, delegated to tbeir care by the ratepayers. VTe believed that from tbe state of sf* mi -torpor into which they had fallen during the winter, - they had awoke, and that the fine weather would be taken advantage of by them— that the iufusion of fresh blood into the body corporate would bring about increased energy. We are sorry to say, however, that we were somwhat premature -in our praise. In the case of their d-sagreement with their late Engineer, they certainly exerted themselves with activity, and, after a good deal of shaking they were wol-re up to a sense of dtity*; but that work finished, -fchey have relapsed into their accustomed somnolency. On Wednesday last there were only tliree .members of the Board hi-. 'their plsece-, arid the trio juncta inuno, not bting sufficient to transact the business, it had to be shelved. The business which had to be postponed was, it appears, of a most important character*, a'csouuts to be passed, contracts to be considered, and, what is at the present time of paramount importance^ the re-letting, of the Dee-street contract far rhe -construction of tbe gratings was to be brought, forward. We can fully sympathise with the public, resident in Dee* street, in their comp'aints at the apathy of the Towa Board, causing the great delay in the carrying out of this work. '''he weather, partially fine as it has only been, is allowed to pass, and before th^y are aware of it, the winter will again see one of the princiDal thoroughfares of the town in the same impassable state, it was in all last winter. Under the existing circumstances, and looking at the delay caused by the reticence of the B ) rd, a coloring, at. leas', is certainly given to the allegation that the majority of the Board are more interested in other portions of the town, and more energetic in procuring the performance of work in certain favored localities. We shou'd be sorry, ourselves, to infer that such was the case, and : that members m rely got. elected to the office to serve their own particular in*ferests; but either tliat. reason must be. assigned for such reprehensible neglect of their duty, 01-', putting a more charitable constriction on their non-atten-dance, we must believe tbe ir.-ijority of them seek the mere empty honor T>f attaching M.T.15 to their names. For some time to come, there is little chance of any change in the system of Town B ards, by the introduction Of the municipal system ; but although its members are not in possession of sucbi extended po.vejs as they would have un 'er the latter, let them for the inter--. ests of the tovn show a li'tle less apathy in making use of those they have.