The Present Picture of New South Wales Part 5

The Duke of Northumberland has sent over some Teeswater sheep, and one stallion, very recently, to Colonel Johnston, which have greatly improved the breed of both. Mr. Mac Arthur took over some Merino sheep, from the King's flock, which are thriving, and the wool of which is extremely fine; several samples have been produced in England. The deer in this colony (originally, I believe, from India) thrive very well, but are of the Rein species, and rather inclined to be small: I have seen some very good venison, and of a superior flavour to any I ever eat in England, though not so fat; the breed might be much improved by a few being sent of a larger quality. Some time ago several made their escape from a park belonging to Mr. Harris, who has for many years been surgeon of the regiment there, and before I left the colony, they were breeding and running wild in the woods.

Several foreign vessels have within these few years arrived here on discovery; but nothing material has resulted from their observations, with which the reader has not been made acquainted.

Chapter IV. Hints for the Improvement of the Colony.

Having thus touched upon the progress of the Colony and its present state, I shall now beg to add such Hints respecting its future improvement, as have suggested themselves to my mind during a residence of ten years in the settlement, in which period I have been enabled, from the nature of the various situations I have held there, to render myself intimately acquainted with all those particulars which are essential to the formation of a correct opinion on this interesting subject. And to the execution of this task I feel the more particularly urged, since I have beheld, with pain, that those who seem to be most deeply impressed with the necessity which exists, for the adoption of some measures to further the interests of the colony, have entirely mistaken the line which ought to be followed, and have marked out to themselves a course of procedure, which is founded on a total misconception of the nature of the colony, and a very superficial knowledge of its present state. That a period of twenty-two years has not been sufficient to render New South Wales independent of the mother country, is a reflection which must produce strong and ungenial suspicions of the prudence of those methods which have been pursued to accelerate such a desirable end; and the continuance of the late system, the inefficiency of which has been amply ill.u.s.trated by recent events, and facts which are incontrovertible, is, of all evils, the most sincerely to be deprecated and guarded against. Of the capability of the settlement to produce adequate means for the subsistence of its members, there can be but a single opinion amongst persons who are enabled, from experience, to judge of the nature and fertility of the soil; and it must, consequently, form an evident conclusion, that some unnatural check must have sprung up to impede the ordinary course of proceedings. My object, however, is not to deprecate the opinions of others, but to give to the public those ideas of improvement which have arisen in my own mind, and which have been confirmed by the approbation of others, who are equally as well or better qualified to decide upon this important subject.

Complaints having been made by the government of the expenses of the colony, which have acc.u.mulated, rather than diminished, with the increasing growth of the settlement, I shall first enter into a statement of the causes of this augmented expense, part of which, as I shall hope to demonstrate with clearness, has arisen out of the nature of things, and the other part may be attributed to various causes.

1st, As to the r.e.t.a.r.ded progress of public buildings, and the diminution in the labour of the convicts.--This decrease in the quant.i.ty of labour performed, is to be attributed to the natural falling-off in the strength of the convicts employed in government labour, from deaths, desertions, and their becoming free. Those who were first sent to the colony, and had been originally transported for seven and fourteen years had served their times, the former in 1793, and the latter in 1800; numbers had been released from their servitude on account of their exemplary behaviour, or of services done to the colony; and all who became settlers being allowed one, two, or more convicts to a.s.sist in the cultivation of the tracts a.s.signed to them, the reduction in those who laboured for the crown must necessarily have been very considerable, and must still continue in an increasing degree, owing to the great numbers of free settlers who have been allowed to go out from England, many of whom have only been a great expense to government, and an hindrance to the settlement. From a correct estimation taken in the year 1800, it was ascertained that three-fourths of the convicts employed in the service of government at the close of 1792, had been subsequently discharged. From that period to the year 1800, 1259 new male convicts arrived, effective and non-effective, a number which was insufficient to fill up the deficiencies occasioned by those who had obtained their liberations in consequence of having completed their terms of servitude, and the emanc.i.p.ations which had taken place, the number of which together amounted to 1264, without including the deaths, casualties, and escapes, which may be taken at an equal number; nor were there more employed by the crown than 710 when Governor King was succeeded in the command of the colony (although a great many had arrived between those periods), including the vast number allowed to officers, settlers, and others, and but few of the remainder were either mechanics or persons adapted to the improvement of the colony; therefore from these causes it must be evident to every rational mind, that the progress of the colony towards perfection and prosperity has, in fact, been as rapid as could be expected, considering the circ.u.mstances of the settlement; and an opinion of a contrary nature must have been grounded upon an exaggerated estimate of the means which existed, and an entire ignorance of the due proportion which they have borne to the labour required at their hands.

2dly, As to the expenditure of the stores which were forwarded to the colony, in the interval which elapsed from the departure of Governor Phillip, in December, 1792, to the arrival of Governor Hunter, in September, 1795.--It has been subsequently ascertained, that in this lapse of two years and three-quarters, a sufficiency of stores had been received to supply the real wants of the settlement for a period nearly thrice as long; whereas the whole was expended, and the store-houses were found empty at the arrival of the latter governor from England. In consequence of the profusion which had thus been practised, although it might at that time be deemed needful, his excellency Governor Hunter was reduced to the necessity of purchasing new stores at an expensive market, where every advantage was taken of the necessity which had induced the demand, and the most exorbitant prices were charged for each article. I have understood from very good authority, that two pounds were paid for a pair of men's shoes, and thirty s.h.i.+llings for women's; tobacco was forty s.h.i.+llings per lb.; soap twelve s.h.i.+llings, and sugar eight s.h.i.+llings; a beaver hat and a coa.r.s.e jacket, fetched five pounds each, and every other article in an equal proportion.

A great deal of time was also lost in endeavouring to make implements of husbandry, mechanical tools, and other requisites of a similar description. The reduced state of the colony at this period was also rendered still more deplorable, by the neglect of the government in England to comply with the urgent requisitions of Governor Hunter for such supplies as were necessary. The exhaustion of the stores of clothing and beds and blankets, a.s.sisted to fill the hospital with patients, and rendered the purchase of these articles absolutely indispensable at any price, and on any terms on which they might be procured. I feel myself inclined to suppose, that the backwardness which displayed itself at this time in the government to dispatch the stores which were demanded, arose from a conviction that the supplies which had been previously sent in such abundance were sufficiently ample for all the immediate wants of the colony, and, consequently, that the pressure of necessity could not be so great as was represented; for it was not to be expected that those officers who administered the government of the colony, on the arrival of their successors, would depict the situation of the settlement, and the state of the stores, in any other than a favourable light, particularly to his Majesty's ministers at home; a line of conduct which tended considerably to enhance the mischiefs which had been already showered upon the inhabitants, by the perhaps too liberal distribution which had been displayed in the issuing of the various necessaries during their administration.

3dly, As to the custom of allowing to settlers a certain number of convicts, for years, to a.s.sist in the tillage, and continuing to victual those servants out of the public stores.--I am clearly of opinion, that much evil has arisen from the unrestrained issue of this indulgence. The original object of this grant was, to enable the young farmer to clear the tract which was a.s.signed to him, and to bring it into a condition which would enable it to produce a maintenance for its possessor; then he was required to take the convicts which he thought it necessary to retain, entirely off the public stores, and to victual and clothe them at his own cost. The abuse of this indulgence, however, has arisen from the extension of its advantages to an unlimitted term; so that the farmer is interested in r.e.t.a.r.ding the efforts which he might otherwise be induced to make for the improvement of his land, in order to save himself from the burden of supporting his servants; and thus a spirit of indolence is promoted, and the original intention of the measure is totally perverted. The continuance of this pernicious system, previous to the administration of Governor Hunter, had induced the settlers to look upon it as a right, rather than an indulgence. Numbers of useful mechanics, whose services might have been turned to advantage, in the exercise of their different professions for the public benefit, were thus given to those who cultivated lands, until their term was expired; and no sooner did they recover their freedom, than they quitted the service of government for more lucrative employments; the consequence was, artificers at a high price were to be hired by the governor, to build those store-houses which might have been erected before, and to repair the towns of Parramatta and Toongabbee, which were falling into ruins, on account of the necessary repairs having been neglected at a proper season: This was a new expense entailed upon government, and many thousands were expended, which foresight and prudent policy might have saved.

A 4th cause of superfluous expense to the crown, was to be found in the employment of the convicts to perform the public service by task-work, which was completed by nine or ten o'clock in the morning, and thus left the hands free to a.s.sist in the cultivation of those tracts of land which had been granted to different descriptions of persons. Thus was the government labour protracted in a most shameful degree; the labour of little more than a week requiring the lapse of a month to complete it; and thus, also, several were induced, by their attention to their individual interests, to neglect the service of the colony. The consequence of this innovation was, the rapid clearing and cultivation of such persons' estates, and the erection of comfortable residences and the acquisition of further accommodations, which they must otherwise have waited some time to obtain; while the buildings which were required to be raised for the security of the stores, and for other purposes of equal necessity, were greatly r.e.t.a.r.ded. I am confident also that this conduct tended to relax the discipline which ought to have been rigidly preserved amongst the convicts, and produced a general carelessness of the general interest; and it was not without some difficulty that Governor Hunter succeeded in the adoption of a contrary line of behaviour. Habits of dissipation and indolence resulted from this pernicious mode of bartering the public for individual interest, which had taken such deep root, as to render their complete eradication matter of the most extreme difficulty: The encroachments on the hours of labour for the crown has, however, been done away by Governor Hunter, and a a more regular system has been adopted in the allowance of convicts and other indulgences to settlers, etc. by order of the Secretary of State, since his excellency's departure.

The custom of imprisoning for debt those persons who are employed in the public service, const.i.tutes the 5th article of notice; and this practice had been carried to such a pitch, that dealers would readily give credit to convicts, or any servants of the crown, under the idea that they might sue the debtors for the amount, and imprison them, or obtain the benefit of their labour until the debt was liquidated. The necessities of the convicts frequently compelled them to seek for credit, and thus to throw themselves into the power of those iniquitous designers. In consequence of the prevalence of this practice many of the convicts were immured continually, and thus the public was deprived of their services; since they preferred remaining indolently in confinement to making those complaints to the governor, which would have led to their release, and reinstation in their former situations of labour. Governor Hunter no sooner made himself acquainted with the mischievous extent to which this conduct was carried, than he published an order, in which he prohibited every person in trade from "crediting the servants of the crown, under the plea of their being at liberty to imprison their persons; if such credit was given, it was to be understood as being done at the risk of the creditor, on the good faith he entertained of the integrity of the persons he so entrusted, but that the public should not be deprived of the labour of its servants for the partial accommodation of individuals." This order was dated the 4th of October, 1798, three years after the return of Governor Hunter to the administration of his high and responsible office; and the regulation was justified by the situation of the colony, and the abuses which had sprung out of the custom. After the publication of this order, however, I saw many persons committed to prison for debt, whose situation, as convicts, exempted them from incarceration; but this apparent breach of the regulation was entirely attributable to the ignorance of the court which had thus decided, that the person against whom their warrant was directed, was at the time a bond-servant, and, consequently, within the reach of this clause. Whenever a commitment of this description came to the governor's knowledge (which was always the case in a few days, when the report of the prisoners for debt was delivered to him), the delinquent was immediately enlarged, since his confinement was illegal, as contrary to the order which had been published on the subject.

Another cause of expense, comprising the 6th in this enumeration, arose out of the number of orphan children in the settlement, who were allowed full ration and clothing at the charge of government. This evil has, however, experienced a very natural reduction, from the judicious measures adopted by Governor Hunter, who laid the foundation of a fund for the benefit of these orphans; the consequence of which has been, the completion of a school for the education and maintenance of female children of that description, and which is now supported by various imposts upon merchandize, and other taxations or fines for certain offences against the general orders. The children embraced by this charity are not simply the offspring of deceased parents, but such other children, also, as have been left unprovided for, by the desertion of those whose duty it was to foster them, or from the circ.u.mstance of their being found to be worthless and profligate characters, or by their having betrayed a carelessness and indifference as to the moral improvement of their children; where such a disposition displayed itself, the offspring were taken from them, and their subsequent progress was made the care of this inst.i.tution, which provided for their support and improvement; and I am happy to say, that there is every appearance of a great good arising from this foundation, by rescuing from infamy and shame, and bringing up to a life of virtue and industry, a number of fine young girls, whom it is earnestly hoped will strive to repay the paternal care that has been taken of them in their juvenile days, by a strict adherence to every pure inclination as they rise in age, and a grateful remembrance of those from whom their happiness has sprung.

7thly, The establishment of a most injurious monopoly amongst the inhabitants of the settlement, which has tended to the ruin of fair trade.--The commencement of this baleful system is traced back to the administration of Governor Phillip, at which time I was not in the settlement. In a very scarce period, when all cla.s.ses were labouring under every kind of privation, the officers prayed leave of the governor to charter the s.h.i.+p Britannia for the Cape of Good Hope, to bring back cattle and other articles on their account, for which speculation a considerable sum was subscribed, in equal shares. The governor a.s.sented to the proposition, in consequence of the peculiar state of the colony at that time; but scarcely had the Britannia sailed upon her voyage, when the governor, having received leave of absence, left the settlement, and the government immediately changed its form, from a naval to a military system. In consequence of this variation, permission was readily obtained for the disposal of the cargo thus imported on its arrival, and after its pa.s.sing through the hands of the importers, the chief part of the merchandize produced from 1000L. to 2000L. per cent. to the private retailer. These extraordinary advantages could but be attended with evil and destructive consequences to the settlement at large; nor does the system of monopoly, which was so early introduced in the colony, cease to spread its baleful influence; by which means the settlers, who were deserving of the most marked encouragement and indulgence, still remain in far less affluent circ.u.mstances than they otherwise might have been. This topic deserves serious attention, and the mild hand of legislative authority, to check its further pernicious effects.

Having spoken thus on the subject of monopoly, which I shall at a future period fully establish, and which has occasioned the sacrifice of the public, to individual interest, I shall proceed to advert, 8thly, to the loss which the government has sustained in the dereliction of some of its most valuable servants, who have been allured, by the rapid fortunes made by several individuals, to quit the service of the public, and to embark in traffic. The inferior officers of the settlement, and the non-commissioned officers and privates of the regiment, have been infected with the itch for dealing; and many of the settlers themselves have either disposed of their farms or deserted them, to obtain the means or the leisure to devote themselves to a species of dealing which never failed to turn to good account.

Many who had also served their terms of transportation, instead of remaining to aid the public service, withdrew themselves from the stores, and turned their thoughts to trade. The consequence of this universal inclination to one object, and that of such an evil nature, being chiefly confined to the sale of spirits, soon became obvious in the desertion of those farms which had been previously tilled with so much advantage, and in the neglect of all duties, whether of a public or private nature. The immense profits made by this pursuit served as a new stimulus to its continuance: One dealer was known to have cleared twelve hundred pounds sterling in four weeks, and chiefly by the sale of spirits; and an inhabitant of the lowest order, who commenced dealing with five pounds, has been known to realize five hundred pounds in the course of six months. It must naturally be inferred, that the most base imposition must have been practised to render this business so extremely lucrative, and the article itself must have been diluted away to excessive weakness; but while the temptation remained so strong, it is not to be wondered at that such numbers of persons, in a colony of this or any other description, should be found to quit every other object for a free and full pursuit of one so full of attraction. Many of the convicts soon acquired property in this way, and some of those who had been in that unfortunate situation, by their good conduct are now considered as respectable characters, and are in possession of horses, carriages, and servants, with a sufficiency to secure their independence during the remainder of their lives.

The military have also made considerable wealth by the same course, and the consequence was the instilment into every bosom of a consciousness of independence, which was fatal to that strict subordination which ought to be maintained and enforced.

Non-commissioned officers were the princ.i.p.al actors in this department, and being connected by the ties of common interest, they formed a combination which interfered with the middle cla.s.s of inhabitants, since they could get on board any vessels on account of their rank, which gave them the privilege of doing so, without being under the necessity of obtaining a written pa.s.s for that purpose. The principle of allowing a servant to enter into traffic, is fraught with the most serious mischief; since he is not only led to neglect the duties he has undertaken to perform, but gradually becomes independent in his feelings and opinions, and subst.i.tutes insolence of conduct for the respect which ought to mark his behaviour. The value of an article also becomes greatly enhanced to the consumer, when it is permitted to pa.s.s through so many hands, each individual of whom must place upon it a profit which he deems adequate to his labour or his ingenuity.

Allowing liberty to a prisoner to pursue this kind of avocation is productive of another evil; it leads him, by gradual steps, from becoming careless of his proper duty, to the a.s.sumption of a degree of importance and independence which induces him to place himself above his master, and thus controverts the natural and necessary distinctions of society. This traffic has also originated numerous frauds of a pecuniary description, amongst which may be mentioned, as the most notorious, the custom of indorsing notes of hand over to persons, without receiving any consideration for the same, and thus making them the plaintiffs in the suits which they were permitted to inst.i.tute. From all these practices it has resulted, that numerous settlers have been induced to neglect or quit their farms, which, with industrious management, were competent to the supply of all their necessary wants, and thus to diminish the means of procuring subsistence for the colony; and they have become dissatisfied with a country, which is capable of being made the most lovely and prolific in the world. Amongst the inhabitants, also, was introduced the vice of gaming--a natural consequence of the astonis.h.i.+ng increase of wealth in men of little principle and no economy; drunkenness was the ready way to this crime, and so addicted were many of every cla.s.s of society to it, that they scrupled not, after losing the property which they possessed, to stake that which they did not possess. Some persons, however, either favoured by fortune, or possessing more prudence than their unfortunate companions, contrived to retain the property they had gained, and by applying it to traffic are now in a state of affluence of which few persons can form an accurate conception.

The 9th item of expense is to be found in the provisions and spirits issued to parties on command; a custom which has been esteemed proper and necessary in cases where such parties have been employed in particular services for the public benefit, and in no other cases have they been issued during the administrations of governors Phillip and Hunter. These services were of various descriptions, parties being frequently detached in pursuit of those who had absconded, either into the woods, or had carried off boats, and endeavoured to escape over the ocean; others were oftentimes employed in excursions into the interior, to obtain a more perfect and comprehensive acquaintance with the nature and productions of the country; others again were sent, at times, to reconnoitre the herds of wild cattle, to remark their progress, and see that no attempts were made to destroy such an useful resource; the inspection of the various settlements also occupied some detachments; small divisions were dispatched to cruize and survey the coast; and the crews of colonial vessels, which were engaged in going to and from the Hawkesbury, as well as to the more distant settlements, were in the habit of receiving these extra supplies, as they had no other means of increasing their common allowance, when such augmentation was necessary: Certain customary rations were also given to the settlers while they were employed in making and repairing the different roads which led to the settlements, and at which periods they received allowances in proportion to the number of days during which their services were required. It had also been usual to give one pint of spirits weekly to each of the clerks employed in the offices of the governor, secretary, commissary, and judge advocate; a similar portion was also issued to the constables of the crown and the overseers; and also to such constables of districts as were chosen out of the inhabitants who were not prisoners, and who, with their families, were victualled from the public stores; but some of these have been subsequently done away with, being considered by Governor King as a superfluous addition to the already excessive expenses of the colony. There are also many other occasional duties, the persons employed in which would be ent.i.tled to the extra allowances, from a sense of their indispensable necessity, since it is sufficiently evident that men who are called upon and expected to perform services of more than common exertion, must receive additional means of increasing their physical strength, and of enabling them to execute the task a.s.signed to them.

A 10th cause of loss to the crown, and of the expenses of the colony, resulted from the abuses formerly practised in the medical department of the colony; amongst which it was customary to screen the convalescent labourers in the Hospital, and to employ them for individual benefit, so that the patients were thus kept under the hands of medical men longer than was requisite for the establishment of their health: An imposition of this nature called for immediate steps on the part of the governor, but unfortunately his excellency Governor Hunter did not receive information of this iniquitous practice until he had delivered up his executive power and was embarked, or otherwise he expressed his determination to have put a stop to the disgraceful proceeding; it has, however, subsequently been done away with. At one time, it was ascertained, there were forty or fifty convicts who were thus kept in the Hospital, and were employed by a medical man in the furtherance of his private interests, and such other occupations as he marked out for them, to the loss of eleven pounds five s.h.i.+llings a day to the crown.

Such a circ.u.mstance as this, from a quarter so totally unexpected, afforded an additional proof of the general disposition which prevailed amongst almost every cla.s.s of society to push their individual interests, to the detriment of the public service; and, instead of giving their full a.s.sistance to promote the prosperity of the colony, to r.e.t.a.r.d its progress, and make its necessities the source of their profit.

The 11th cause of loss to the crown, and of the expenses of the colony, arises from the dependent settlements within the limits of that territory; and although the governments at the River Derwent and Port Dalrymple are allowed to draw separate Treasury bills for their internal expenses, yet, the great quant.i.ty of wheat, maize, salt provisions, slop clothing, and other stores, it is absolutely necessary to send from the princ.i.p.al seat of government to those places, added to the conveyance and other unavoidable charges, enhances the expenses at Sydney to an amount that no person would believe but such as have had an opportunity of being an eye-witness to the mode in which such immense sums are disposed of, or upon strictly investigating the voluminous official doc.u.ments which are transmitted from that colony. As the accounts of the expense of the settlement at Newcastle are wholly included in those at Port Jackson, I shall forbear to make any regular estimate thereupon; but it must be evident, that where the subsistence of such distant places chiefly depend upon a settlement but a short time colonized, the expenses must be very considerable, and the supplies must be given out and used with the greatest caution, to prevent the necessity of applying to a market where their charges are generally exorbitant, and in most cases optional.

The last source of expense to the government which I shall mention, and which, although now also done away, has been the means of an astonis.h.i.+ng increase in the expenditure of the colony. From the fertility of its soil, Norfolk Island was for some time considered a great acquisition to the princ.i.p.al settlement; but subsequent experience has proved the futility of this idea, since the price of grain, instead of lowering in proportion to the additional trouble bestowed on the cultivation of the soil, remained the same just before its evacuation as it had been eight years before. As a place for raising swine this island, indeed, might have proved of much utility, if the establishment there had been almost entirely reduced, and the attention of the colony had been confined to this subject, and to the curing of pork for the consumption of all the other settlements; but as this method was not adopted, it proved, from the time of its establishment, a continual check upon the prosperity of the princ.i.p.al colony, draining those resources which ought to have been applied to different purposes, where the hope and probability of some recompense, adequate to the expense, might have been more sanguine, and less unlikely. Norfolk Island, so far from returning any proportionate recompense for those supplies, had not, in the course of thirteen years, sent to New South Wales property of any description exceeding in value 2000L.; during which period all the expenses of that island were included in the general account of the whole country with the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury. So far from being in itself a flouris.h.i.+ng colony. Governor Hunter, who called there in his way to England in 1800, found that the whole of the public, and numbers of private erections, were in a most miserable condition; and his excellency declared that he had scarcely seen a negro town in the West Indies with half such a wretched appearance. The grain here and there displayed a promising appearance, and swine were in some considerable numbers; but the coast was dangerous, Governor Hunter being himself once wrecked upon it in the Sirius, and nearly lost with all his s.h.i.+p's crew; and this circ.u.mstance is calculated to deter vessels from touching at the island in quest of wood and water, which are both plentiful, but which may be procured in equal abundance in any of the other islands of the Pacific ocean where there are fewer rocks and breakers to contend with, and where the acquiescence of the natives might easily be purchased. In addition to the above obstacles and inauspicious appearances, vessels at this place have no anchorage, but are obliged always to keep under sail; and I have known them to be blown off the island for several weeks together, with very little provision on board, whilst a part of the crew have been on sh.o.r.e; and by those means not only a considerable loss has accrued to the merchants or owners, but the lives of a number of fellow-creatures have been exposed to the most imminent danger.

To the existence of these, with other subsequent causes, it may be attributed that the colony of New South Wales has not made a more rapid progress towards independence, but has so long hung, as it were, upon the breast, and derived its sole nourishment from the food, of the mother country. To raise the settlement from this state of dependence; to expunge from its early page that stain which must be affixed to it by remoter ages; to stimulate its growth, and impel it along the path which leads to greatness, must be the object, the desire, and the hope, of every one who feels an interest in its prosperity; and if a long residence in the colony, a full consciousness of its capacity, and an unshaken affection for the country, can ent.i.tle any one to a rank amongst the friends of this infant empire, I flatter myself that my claim must be allowed; and I shall therefore proceed to suggest those further ideas of improvement which are founded in a thorough knowledge of the subject from experience.

To facilitate the rise of New South Wales to a state of consequence and independence, its interests must be entrusted to a governor who has no private or mercenary views, and will seek after nothing but the welfare of the colony; who will thoroughly support the trust and honour reposed in him, as the representative of our most gracious Sovereign; who will not treat, nor suffer others to treat, the officers serving under him with indignity; who will not study the rapid rise of one man, and the sudden downfal of another, but will administer, and cause justice to be administered impartially to all descriptions of persons, and only shew his favour to those whose conduct is such as to merit his distinguished notice. Under such a man, the industrious settlers should receive the most liberal encouragement to induce them to pay every attention to the cultivation of their lands and to the rearing of stock; and I am of opinion, that when the price of grain has been reduced under ten s.h.i.+llings per bushel for wheat, five s.h.i.+llings for maize and barley, and four s.h.i.+llings and sixpence for oats, the grower has very frequently been a loser, without admitting that in the course of the season there had been any flood, blight, insect, or rust, to injure the growing crops. I speak this from the general knowledge I have of the country, having taken every settler's and other muster there for a number of years, and from the concurrent opinions of several of the first and most independent farmers throughout the settlement; nor can any man who is acquainted with the exorbitant wages demanded by every cla.s.s of labourers, who are not prisoners a.s.signed by the crown to their employers, in that part of the world, and the great difficulties attending the various occupations he has to encounter before his grain can be brought to the market, judge otherwise. The government stores should also be open at all times to receive the grain, which would not only enable the commissary to send the requisite supplies to the dependent settlements, but would also afford a powerful security against the fatal and frequent losses which are occasioned by the floods, so destructive to property of every description, but more particularly to the grain; and it would also set aside the necessity of issuing short allowance to those prisoners who are necessarily supported by the crown, by which means government labour is sometimes r.e.t.a.r.ded, in consequence of the reduction of the hours of work in proportion to the diminution in the weekly ration.

If government were also to decline farming, it would excite a greater degree of perseverance in the settlers, and would, in my opinion, eventually disburden the crown of a very considerable expense, as those employed in agriculture, on the government account, are generally that description of persons who only care how little they work, and are equally as indifferent as to the manner in which their labour is performed; besides which, very few of these individuals are at all acquainted with the art of husbandry, particularly that system which ought to be adopted in a colony, the climate, soil, and produce of which, are so essentially different to those of the mother country; and those few, as soon as they have attained a knowledge of the regular method necessary there to be pursued, are generally taken away by some cause or other, or claim their freedom, from the original term of their transportation being expired, so that little better than a succession of new hands have to perform a task of which the chief part are totally ignorant.

By the opening of the stores, and the prevention of the losses before mentioned, the Southseamen, and other vessels touching at Port Jackson, might at all times receive ample supplies of such refreshments as they stood in need of, in exchange for articles more serviceable to the inhabitants than any recompense of a pecuniary nature; and, indeed, absolutely necessary to the comfort and prosperity of the colony. In case of a war in these seas, or in any part of India, this settlement would prove a very desirable _depot_, and place of rendezvous. Soldiers and seamen would at all times be healthy, without great fatigue, free from s...o...b..tic complaints so prevalent after a long voyage, and would not suffer from a change of climate, which too frequently brings on dysentery, or other fatal diseases; these circ.u.mstances would naturally render them more fit to enter a field of battle, and better qualified, in every respect, to endure the wearisome fatigues and dangers of war.

Several s.h.i.+ps which have touched at the settlement under the pressure of necessity, have been denied the requisitions which they have made for bread and other provisions; and, although the local circ.u.mstances of the colony rendered that denial absolutely necessary, yet, had the settler been guaranteed by any means against loss, or could he have received any sufficient security for his grain, every s.h.i.+p which had been in need, as well as every one touching there in future, would have been, and might be, amply provided for. The influx of American vessels, and s.h.i.+ps from the East Indies, has recently suffered a very considerable diminution; the former, at one period, nearly supplied the colony with articles of almost every description, at very reasonable prices, but, from some cause or other, vessels from the United States seldom now arrive at the settlement with merchandize for sale; the Indian vessels have also ceased to arrive in the same numbers as formerly, and the supplies have consequently fallen off materially, which naturally injures all descriptions of persons, not only by preventing an immediate intercourse between those countries, but also by lessening very considerably the consumption of stock, grain, etc. so that the settler, in planting his land, has now no other views than to raise a sufficiency of grain for the consumption of his own family, and the liquidation of his debts. He has no longer a stimulus to labour; he calculates that the time and toil are wasted which are spent in raising an article for which he has no vent; his industrious disposition is consequently cramped; his present exertions are without hope of reward; and his prospects are divested of the supporting promise of future comfort or competence. Such a system as this evidently and rapidly tends to ruin; these symptoms are the obvious marks of a diseased economy; and, if decay appears in the present unripe state of the country, with what propriety--with what hope--on what grounds, can the mind calculate upon future prosperity?

The vessels of neutral powers ought to be encouraged, in my opinion, to trade to the settlement; they would serve the colony, by giving encouragement to the settlers; there would once again be a beneficial compet.i.tion; there would be a channel for the carrying off the surplus produce of the country, and industry might again look forward with joyous expectation to the harvest of its toil. These vessels might be laden back with spermaceti or other oils, seal skins, coals, s.h.i.+p-timber, fustic, or any other articles the produce of the settlements and the Southern Seas; and thus a traffic might be established and carried on with reciprocal benefit, and the independence of New South Wales must be greatly aided in consequence of these beneficial regulations.

It may perhaps be argued, that the indiscriminate admission of the trade of neutral vessels might tend to injure the British s.h.i.+ps trading to this colony; but such a consequence, I think, may easily be averted, since the governor has power to prevent those s.h.i.+ps from selling any such articles as he may deem it expedient to prohibit; and no injury could consequently be sustained, while it would hold out the necessity of selling the European goods at a reasonable rate, or the wants of the colony might be supplied from another market. The arrival of neutral s.h.i.+ps with merchandize would also tend to prevent the too frequent monopolies which take place in this quarter, of the nature of which and their mischievous effects upon the general prosperity of the colony, I have spoken in a former part of this chapter; and I feel a great regret that circ.u.mstances at this moment prevent me from enlarging upon so destructive a subject, and exposing the very root of so pernicious an evil, which has latterly been fostered by those whom nothing more than suspicion could ever have attached to, but by recent events; and I am anxious that a full exposition of the plans which had been adopted to facilitate the rapid rise of a mercenary and powerful few, to the serious injury and almost inevitable downfal of the country, will be held up to the public view of every impartial man; by which means the grand promoters of so nefarious a practice will bring upon their own heads that disgrace, dishonour, and infamy, which their vile projects had formed for others to bear the burthen of. It has been truly said, that by means of those s.h.i.+ps a great quant.i.ty of spirits have been introduced into the settlement of Port Jackson, and on this plea the prohibition of their sales, it is said, has taken place, but which I do not strictly believe: However, the landing of those noxious cargoes might easily be prevented; or they might be suffered to be brought on sh.o.r.e, and lodged in one of his majesty's store-houses, under a bond, so that, whenever the vessel was about to sail from the port, she might receive it again, having some trusty and vigilant person placed on board, to see that no smuggling transactions were carried on, and where he should be ordered to remain until the s.h.i.+p quits the Heads. By these means, which would be no expense to the crown, the dry goods, etc. which had been brought to the market, might be readily disposed of, without any risk being incurred of the introduction of too much of that maddening liquor, generally brought by these vessels, to be distributed amongst the inhabitants of the colony.

It must be obvious to every man of reason, that the early days of a colony require as much attention and a.s.sistance as human infancy, and that a course of improper and unskilful treatment at the outset must undoubtedly lay the foundation of future imbecility and ultimate destruction. Much evil has already been done in the settlement, but it is not yet too late to apply the remedy; the malady which threatens the existence of the colony has not yet attained to an incurable height, and if the proper measures are adopted, prosperity and happiness may yet be seen, where adversity and apprehension are at present discovered; and the seeds of a new and powerful nation may not be doomed to perish, before they have scarcely broken the ground which was intended for the scene of their growth and expansion. I shall, however, without farther digression, endeavour to point out other means of improving the settlement than such as relate to its agriculture.

The establishment of a post-office for the receipt of all letters and parcels for private individuals, and for the dispatch of those which are transmitted from the colony, would be productive of essential service to the general interests, and could be entrusted to some person of respectability, whose remuneration might arise from a certain tax or postage: Such an inst.i.tution would prevent a number of letters from being lost, delivered to wrong persons, or illegally obtained by such for the purpose of sending to the friends of the person for whom they were intended, with a view to obtain money or other property. It has frequently occurred that boxes, etc. have been gained under false pretensions, from on board s.h.i.+ps which had arrived in the port, and the contents of which have been worth a very considerable value: The persons guilty of this crime, by some means obtain the information as to the packages which are on board, and then personate, or cause some of their connexions to personate, those to whom the packages are addressed, on which they obtain the property by only signing a receipt to the officer on board. An office of this description would effectually prevent the recurrence of such fraudulent practices, and would give a security for the regular delivery or transmission, as well as the security, of the letters, etc. which were entrusted to its care. An oath might be administered to the superintendent.

The unfit clothing sent out for the convicts has been a subject of sincere complaint, as being dispatched without any regard to quality or comfort. I am therefore of opinion, that it would be highly expedient to send out a considerable portion of wearing apparel unmade, so that there would be an absolute saving of the cost of making; for the wearers would feel much greater satisfaction from being allowed to receive it in the piece, that they might suit it to their respective wants, as well as consult their own comforts: Those who might have less leisure than their fellow-prisoners, could have their clothing made by the tailors of the different settlements, while the others would be happy to make their own. If this plan were to be carried into execution, it might be necessary to find a person properly qualified to take the superintendence of this mechanical department; and such an one might readily be found in the mother country, whose disposition, owing to adverse circ.u.mstances, might lead him to accept this situation in the colony; thus a proper quant.i.ty of work would be completed, and economy would be much promoted.

The indiscriminate distribution of the clothing sent over is also another evil which requires a remedy, and this might easily be provided, by supplying the prisoners only with such articles as were necessary to them; since those who had received superfluous garments have been in the habit of resorting with them to gaming, or sell them, being unable to apply them to any purpose of wear, as their scanty make will not allow of a change; this, however, would not be the case if the clothing was given to them unmade, since every man would find himself enabled to turn it to some beneficial purpose. The clothing has materially fallen off, in point of quality and suitableness for the climate, of late years; but the evil complained of would, in my opinion, cease to exist, if articles similar to those originally distributed in the time of Governor Phillip (of which I have seen several suits) were now to be issued annually. Many of the females indeed are the slaves of vanity and pride, and being in the custom of cohabiting with persons in affluent circ.u.mstances, never appear in the dress originally given them by the crown; from such as these the issue is now withheld, and they are struck off the victualling list. The consequence of these regulations would be the obtainment of more comfortable clothing to the convicts, and a considerable diminution in the sick list, which has been filled as much from this as from any other cause; and a degree of content and carefulness would be instilled into the minds of the prisoners, in lieu of the negligence, slovenliness, and discontent, which have recently prevailed amongst them on that account.

A very considerable saving in the expenses of the colony would be effected by the consolidation of the two offices of s.h.i.+p-owner and Contractor into one, and the undertaking to land all stores which are liable to injury in the colony, in a perfect state, at his own risk; for it is a notorious fact, as I have often had occasion to observe in an official capacity, that vast quant.i.ties of clothing, stores, and provisions, are landed out of every vessel which arrives in the port, in such a damaged state as to be actually unserviceable; the necessary consequence of which very often is, the total loss of the articles to government; nor has it unfrequently happened, that boxes containing stores have been broke open on the pa.s.sage, and articles of various descriptions thereby have been purloined to a very great amount.

It cannot be doubted that there are many s.h.i.+p-owners who would not scruple to enter into an engagement of the kind to which I have alluded, by sending out his own vessels, and might undertake to convey the stores safely at a very reduced expense. The saving which would thus be effected is surely sufficient to justify the experiment, since the security of the articles, which are in general the most damaged, might be easily guarded by the adoption of a few measures of prudent precaution, and by a careful attention during the voyage. A considerable advantage might also accrue to the merchant from employing his vessels in the Southern Whale-fishery, and a strong probability would exist of his procuring freights from India for his s.h.i.+ps, on account of the East India Company: The adoption of this plan seems to be practicable, and there cannot be a reasonable doubt entertained of its superiority over every other in point of economy.

A commissioner or agent might be appointed for the purposes of inspecting the stores and various articles sent to New South Wales, whose duty it would be to see the articles s.h.i.+pped correctly, and thus to prevent those omissions which are daily in the habit of occurring, and which are of more consequence than may, at first glance, be imagined. This person might also be beneficially employed in comparing the stores s.h.i.+pped with the receipts of the masters, so as to preclude all possibility of practices which are inconsistent with the welfare of the government, but which are too common, and can only be prevented by the adoption of such a measure as the one which I now propose.

Whenever the governor of the colony should send over a requisition, this agent ought immediately to be furnished with an extract from his excellency's correspondence, so that by these means the requisition would not be liable to neglect, and much trouble would be spared to the Public Office, whose province it had previously been to attend to this department. The reduction of expense which would result from this appointment would be much more than adequate to the increased expense incurred by the appointment and remuneration of a gentleman of probity and respectability to this office.

The method of conveying convicts from England is so very inhuman, that some better and more benevolent measure ought to be adopted. The lives of these unfortunate victims of depravity ought surely to be regarded with as much care as those of any other cla.s.s of his Majesty's subjects; the contrary of this has, however, been too frequently the case, and some of the masters of the transports who have been entrusted with these captives, have treated them with such uniform rigour that numbers have perished through the intensity of their sufferings. This want of care is to be attributed to the former custom of contracting for the transport of the convicts at so much per head, so that the master has no interest in the preservation of those entrusted to his care. This evil, too, might also be remedied by the contract being made only for the number which might be landed in New South Wales, and by which means the owner of the transport would study to preserve the life of each individual with the most studious attention, since the loss of a single life would be a diminution of his profit, and there could no longer be a danger of the unhappy prisoners being suffered to perish from any negligence or severity. In addition to this, the surgeon and the master might receive a reward for each person whom they delivered in good order, if their humanity was such as to require a pecuniary stimulus. I believe this has been tried in some instances, at least report has so stated, and, if so, there must have been sufficient evidence gained of the superiority of the method over that which was formerly adopted. It might not be a bad plan to try if some of the superfluous frigates in the service might not be converted into good transports; for there could be no doubt that, in vessels of this description, the accommodations which might be afforded to the convicts would much exceed those of the common transport s.h.i.+ps, and the prisoners would of course be sooner fit for duty, and less liable to the attacks of disease.

Out of several s.h.i.+ps that have arrived, not two-thirds of the number of convicts originally put on board have reached their place of destination; and this mortality, it is feared, must have been occasioned by the embezzlement of the provisions and stores which were intended for the use of the captives. It is also much to be feared that an undue degree of severity has oftentimes been exercised towards the convicts, under the pretence of some attempts to mutiny and effect their escape, and such methods of throwing censure upon the innocent, to excuse wantonness and cruelty, cannot be too severely reprehended, if reprehension be all that can be inflicted upon the perpetrators of such diabolical deeds. The treatment has been directly reverse where a King's officer has been placed on board the transport, who evinced an unshaken resolution to perform his duty. The convicts which came out on board the Royal Admiral, Captain Bond, met with a treatment, and arrived in a condition, which reflected the highest honour on the humanity and prudence of her esteemed commander, and might be properly held forth as a model and an example to the masters of all transports who may in future be employed in the service. Every attention was paid to their cleanliness in particular, care was taken to provide them with the most wholesome provisions, and their messes were so varied as to prevent any dislike arising from repet.i.tions with too much frequency; on the slightest appearance of indisposition, some nouris.h.i.+ng broths, wine, etc. were constantly ordered; twice a day they were mustered on deck, and the s.h.i.+p was completely fumigated: The whole arrived in the most excellent health and spirits imaginable. If every master had displayed a similar good conduct, there would have been no ground for the present complaint, nor any room for the remedy which I suggest in the preceding part of this article.

A number of gentlemen, of small fortunes, might be appointed, whose characters will bear the strictest investigation, and whose talents are adequate to the task, to go over to the colony as justices of the peace, in order that the general welfare and individual security of the colony should be promoted. To these persons many indulgences might be granted, and a respectable salary ought to be attached to the office, so as to enable them to support that degree of respectability and dignity which their situation requires; so as to make their interest totally unconnected with those pursuits which have led so many to sacrifice their principles, and to neglect their duty, for the sake of pursuing the search after independence. The incorruptibility which ought to characterise the conduct of a magistrate should be so fortified by every prudent precaution, that it may at no time, however remote, be in danger of agitation; nor would it be prudent, in another point of view, to permit these gentlemen to mingle in occupations which must have an evident tendency to distract their attention from those arduous tasks which they would be called upon to fulfil, in a country where criminals must naturally abound. Numbers of persons are doubtless to be found in Great Britain who would gladly accept these appointments, whose educations have taught them to look above situations to which unforeseen and unavoidable calamity may have reduced them; men who have preserved their principles and integrity unshaken by the attacks of adversity, and who, consequently, must be eminently qualified to fill such offices as those which I have here suggested. The example which these persons would hold out to the rest of the settlement, could not fail of producing very beneficial effects upon the moral conduct of those who copy the models of their superiors; and would also be of service in a.s.sisting to create a society of power and independence, which might operate as a check upon the influence of all other descriptions of persons.

As instances of the irregularities that have been practised by some of those in magisterial capacities, I need repeat none others than that I have known men without trial to be sentenced to transportation, by a single magistrate at his own barrack; and free men, after having been acquitted by a court of criminal judicature, to be banished to one or other of the dependent settlements: And I have heard a magistrate tell a prisoner who was then being examined for a capital offence, and had some things found upon him which were supposed to have been stolen, and for which he would not account, that, were he not going to be hanged so soon, he (the magistrate) would be d----d if he would not make him say from whence he got them. Nor do I believe it less true, that records of an examination, wherein a respectable young man was innocently engaged, have been destroyed by that same magistrate before whom the depositions were taken. These and numerous other cases which I could enumerate, cannot admit of a doubt but that such a regulation must tend greatly to the preservation of the liberty of the subject, the property of all cla.s.ses of the inhabitants, and the general interest and security of the colony at large.

I should also strongly advise, that nine or ten of the princ.i.p.al officers of government should be authorized to act in the capacity of council, to whom the governor could resort, in all periods of difficulty and delicacy, for advice how to shape his conduct, by which means he would not, in any future instance, be left wholly dependent upon his own judgment. The good effects of this arrangement must soon be evident, since the issuing of an order of council could not fail to carry with it much additional weight to that which would be attached to an act of the governor alone, and would tend to the speedy suppression of any appearance of insubordination, and discourage those who should incline so to act as to originate a spirit of dissatisfaction in the settlement. To a want of this council, it may not be too much to attribute the present unsettled state of the colony, and the maturation of a faction which has perverted the streams of justice, and which has impeded the growth of opulence throughout the settlement, merely to enrich a select party at the expense of the general welfare, and consequently to spread vice and ruin through a land, whose prosperity has never become their care, although it was a solemn pledge of their leaders to support and cherish it to the very utmost of their ability.

In addition to this council composed of the chief officers of the government, I consider it essentially requisite that a barrister should be appointed as a counsellor to the governor, at all times when his excellency is referred to in matter of doubtful disputation, which must oftentimes occur in the colony, and which frequently reduces him to an unpleasant dilemma. Aided by a legal adviser, however, his judgment must be strengthened, and his decision would be more weighty, without creating in his breast those uneasy sensations which must arise under different circ.u.mstances. In the present conformation of the government, the governor has no legal adviser to have recourse to when an appeal is made to his decision, which is not rarely the case, except the judge advocate, and this officer having previously given his opinion in the court below cannot, of course, be again consulted on the same subject. In consequence of this default of advice, the governor must give his own opinion, which may or may not be in conformity with the laws of the mother country, just as it may happen, and according to the knowledge he may possess of the principles and practice of jurisprudence, which is seldom very deep in persons whose inclinations are so opposite to this kind of study as the officers of the navy and army, from whom the governors of the colony have hitherto been selected. This counsellor could be selected from those who might be induced to listen to such a proposal, as may place before them a certain liberal competence, with the opportunity of rising to independence in a sphere where the number of compet.i.tors would be so low as to render final success less precarious. It is needless to expatiate more amply upon the benefits which must accrue from an appointment of this nature, which would impose but a trifling additional burden on the crown, since it is extremely possible that a barrister might be obtained for the salary of 150L.

per annum, which, together with the victualling of himself and his family and servants from the public stores, and residence in the colony rent-free, added to the other customary indulgences given to persons from whose services utility is expected to be derived, would not make his situation worth less than 500L. per annum, a temptation which must possess some weight in the minds of those who meet with inadequate encouragement in England.

The legislative code of the colony requires a careful revision, since the numerous residents who have arrived in the settlement, and their increasing respectability and opulence, render such a measure necessary. That system which would suit the original establishment, composed only of two cla.s.ses, the officers of government and the convicts, will scarcely be expected to adapt itself to the wants and wishes of a community advanced in civilization: In the former case, the princ.i.p.al object was to punish delinquency; in the latter, to secure property, and insure the safety of that wealth which now began to shew itself in the multiplication of luxuries, and the augmentation of individual splendour. The present system is so liable to abuse, and has given just occasion for so many complaints on the part of those traders who visit the colony in great numbers, as well as of the more respectable cla.s.ses of the inhabitants themselves, that it is become highly expedient to subst.i.tute in its place one which shall be incorruptible, and which, from its own importance, may command a greater degree of respect. At the head of this court ought to be placed a chief justice, who, by the respectability of his salary, should be effectually placed above the reach of every motive of an improper or injurious nature; and in order to lighten this expense to the crown, certain court fees might be established which would materially a.s.sist to swell the amount of the remuneration which ought to be attached to this high office, so as to render it worthy the notice of men who are fitted, by habit and education, to execute its duties in a correct and honourable manner. The rent of the residence appointed to this gentleman ought to be taken from his shoulders, and the public stores should find provisions for himself, his family, and his servants, together with fuel and candles; the wages of a limited number of domestics might also be paid by government; and thus he would be exonerated from so many burthens of a pecuniary nature, that a salary which might at the fi