John Dunmore Lang

“ It had thus virtually become the interest of the free portion of the population of New South Wales, from the first establishment of that colony, to frustrate the grand object of its wise and beneficent founders, in regard to the reformation of the convicts, and to do all that in them lay to render the latter worse than ever; the Government in the mean time supplying the means of their general demoralization with a liberality and profuseness above all praise. ”

“ Emancipated convicts are scattered all over the territory, and too frequently obtain their livelihood, not by honest industry, but by corrupting the convict and emancipated convict population,—selling ardent spirits on the sly, as it is called, and receiving in exchange property or goods that are generally pilfered or stolen from their owners for the express purpose of procuring the means of indulgence. ”

“ During the period of his actual bondage, the convict is understood not to be allowed ardent spirits; but in the service of private settlers he has occasionally ways and means of procuring the unhallowed indulgence, independently of his master. ”

“ But if a settler is so vigilant on the one hand, or so fortunately situated on the other, as to render it impracticable for his convict servants to obtain the means of intoxication during their period of bondage ”

“ Allowing, however, for convicts in actual bondage, to whom spirits are not issued, and for children and other natives of the colony, who are generally indisposed lo the use of ardent spirits, the number of the actual consumers of this vast quantity of intoxicating liquor does not, in all probability, exceed 40,000 persons ”