John Dunmore Lang

“ In such a state of things—a state in which the standard of morals was authoritatively lowered, and a false estimate of men and manners publicly established, and in which, moreover, every thing was done that could be done virtually to divest the prison population of all sense of degradation and criminality—it is superfluous to inquire whether transportation had proved effectual, either for the prevention of crime or for the reformation of criminals. ”

“ It would have relieved several successive governors of the colony from the mortifying and humiliating necessity of purchasing the patronage of men who owed their own lives to the lenity of the laws, and of whose thorough reformation there was no evidence but their acquisition of wealth, in order to secure an adequate counterpoise to the weight and influence of a few individuals, whom they fancied opposed to their legitimate authority. ”

“ It has become fashionable of late for those writers in England who decry the whole system of transportation as essentially impolitic and inexpedient, to endeavour to enlist the authority of the celebrated Lord Bacon in support of their position, by quoting the following well-known aphorism of that distinguished philosopher:—It is a shameful and unblessed thing to take the scum of the people, and wicked, condemned men, to be the people with whom you plant. ”

“ The consequence of a failure of a crop, when we no longer depend upon any supplies from Great Britain, will be obvious; and to guard against which is one reason for my being so desirous of having a few settlers, to whom, as the first, I think every possible encouragement should be given. ”

“ Had the intentions of the original founders of the colony of New South Wales been vigorously followed up, and had the reiterated recommendations of its first governor been duly attended to, so as to have enabled the first detachments of free emigrants to have taken root in the colony; there is no doubt whatever but that numerous and reputable families and individuals, of all classes in society, would have soon found their way to the new settlement ”

“ The first, and without doubt the most influential cause of the comparative failure of the transportation system, as it has hitherto been administered in the Australian penal colonies, is the want of a free emigrant and virtuous population, to afford the requisite stimulus to reformation, and to repress the general tendency to criminality. ”

“ As I thought the first settlers sent out might require more encouragement than those who might come hereafter, I proposed, in my last despatches, giving them a certain number of convicts for two years, and supporting them during that time at the expense of the Crown. Much will depend on ensuring the success of the first settlers sent out, and who, I presume, will be good farmers: the assistance proposed for them will certainly put them at their ease, if they are industrious, and would not, I apprehend, be any great loss to the Crown. ”

“ Governors, it is well known, being generally military officers, are a class of men who are usually extremely jealous of their delegated authority, as the representatives of majesty; and this jealousy is, for the most part, in exact proportion to their distance from the mother country, and the comparative minuteness or insignificance of their governments. ”

“ From the entire want of such a population in New South Wales, the tone was originally given to society in that colony by convicts and emancipated convicts; who, being uncontrolled by the voice of public opinion, and having no stimulus from without to induce them to pursue a more reputable course, speedily presented one grand scene of enormous profligacy ”

“ But I have yet to learn that Lord Bacon was of opinion that wicked, condemned men" were in no case to be transported to a British colony, or that convict labour ought never to be had recourse to in a foreign plantation, either as a means of punishing and reforming the criminal, or of promoting the welfare and advancement of the settlement. ”

“ Having situations of emolument and other substantial favours at their disposal, it is impossible in the nature of things, but that their exercise of their own discretion, in appointing to such situations or in distributing such favours, should give offence in some quarter or other. ”

“ In virtue of that arrangement, every small community, in whatever part of the colonial territory, will henceforth be enabled to secure the services of an efficient schoolmaster, as well as of a resident minister of religion of their own communion. ”