1 
     
    
   
   
    
     . to hearof, is, that some troublesome fel- 
     
    
   
   
    
     214 
     
    
   
   
    
     yard Island? What rapid strides has it 
     
     made towards the regeneration of our sys- 
     
     tems in this little_Mistress ofthe Gulf? But 
     
     Iknow your answer will be. “The fault is 
     
     not to be attributed to the ‘ Press,’ but to 
     
     the paltry conductors thereof.” Granted— 
     
     But, since it has been said that “the school- 
     
     master is abroad,” and faith it appears he 
     
     has found his way to Prince Edward Is- 
     
     lahd ; yes, to the press of P. E. Island — 
     
     Yes Sir. lrepeat it again, to the press of 
     
     P. E. Island. When we see a newspaper 
     
     that has been since its very commence- 
     
     ment, the tool ofa Party always subjecl lo 
     
     the ‘powers that be,’ (‘let the cap fit where it 
     
     may.’) [say Sir, when we see this paper 
     
     assume such a formidable position as to ar- 
     
     raign in its columns, serenteen ‘ wise men’ 
     
     and a fool, that we may justly conclude 
     
     the schoolmaster has at length arrived, and 
     
     laid holdcn the helm of that “ Mighty en- 
     
     gine.” And for what are those sages ar— 
     
     raigned ? because forsootlt “oncfool” has 
     
     been found to give them a “feed!” 
     
    

    
     Now, Mr. White, the next thingI hepe 
     
    
   
   
    
     low or other in the shape of a “schoolmaso 
     
     ter," shall have found his way to the office 
     
     of the ‘Bnmsn AMERICAN.’ Such a thing 
     
     cannot be surprising, as it was on liberal 
     
     and independent principles that your valua- 
     
     ble journal was established. 
     
    

    
     Now Sir, I cannot help thinking, that 
     
     public men are public properly, particularly 
     
    
   
   
    
     THE BRITISH AMERICAN. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ‘ Doctor Faustis,’you must give us a sketch 
     
     of our Parliamentary affair. once "in a 
     
     while. I am sorry 1 live out of town or] 
     
     would give you a report now and then.— 
     
     But I shall with your permission, Sir, send 
     
     you my opinions occasionally, on different 
     
     subjects connected with the interests of the 
     
     people; and in the meantime remain 
     
     yOur Obt. Servant, 
     
     BARBER. 
     
     Green-Bush Cottage,Jan. 3|. 
     
    
   
   
    
     CONDITION OF CONVICTS IN VAN DIEMAN'S LAND. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Van Dietnan‘s Land being a penalstation for 
     
     the reception of offenders from Great Britain, 
     
     it may perhaps be expected that a portion 
     
     ofthcse pages should be allotted to a subject 
     
     which is very imperfectly understood at home. 
     
     although of very considerable importance. 
     
     1: may be well, therefore, to devote a small 
     
     space towards making known a few of the 
     
     leading principles under which the convict 
     
     population isgoverned. There are two lead- 
     
     ing heads connected with this sobject—-the one. 
     
     the general state or condition of crown pri- 
     
     soners, and the other, the incentives to good 
     
     conduct which are presented to them, by the 
     
     indulgences to which they are admissible. 
     
     Upon the first point, it may be remarked, that 
     
     all persons who are transported hither, with- 
     
     out reference to any previous circumstances 
     
     whatever, are either placed in the public ser- 
     
     vice, or are assigned to private individuals 
     
     immediately upon landing, according to their 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     while such are paid out of the public purse. 
     
     On such data as this, I consider the public 
     
     have a right—yes, an undoubted right, to 
     
     scrutinize the measures ofall public bodies, 
     
     however elevated their position may be, 
     
     or however far their privileges extend. 
     
     Well Mr. Editor, what next? here our 
     
     Honorable Body of Legislators have been 
     
     in active employment labouring for the 
     
     welfare of the state for nearly a month 
     
     past, without we ever hearing a single 0')- 
     
     servation or comment on their proceed- 
     
     ings. Can this be right ? No Sir, it can- 
     
     not. That honourable body would be dou- 
     
     bly stimulated in their arduous duties, by 
     
     your giving merit its due. Bv holding up 
     
     to the public gaze the ‘ threadbare’ argu- 
     
     ments of some, and giving expression to 
     
     public opinion ; it would work wonders in 
     
     favormf the constituency of Prince Ed- 
     
     ward Island.-—See that arch chap Joe 
     
     Howe, during the session of the Legisla- 
     
     ture in H'tlilax. he is in every ‘hole and 
     
     corner.’ Nay. even when the subject of 
     
     Pay came br-l‘on- that honourable and au- 
     
     gust Assembly. .lne sent one of his ‘Devils’ 
     
     rolled in his ‘ old-dc of darkness,’ and re- 
     
     ported the divisiou in the very next ‘ No- 
     
     vascotian.’ , 
     
     Now,-Mr. Editor, if you are not yet pro- 
     
     vided with a ‘l/eoil,’ you can no doubt find 
     
     one in Charlotte~Town, and if not, you 
     
     must send for one to Novascotia. At all 
     
    
   
   
    
     several qualifications. Those who belong to 
     
     the first class are compelled to devote the 
     
     whole oftheir time to such occupations as are 
     
     allotted to them; and in return, are fed, clothed, 
     
     and lodged at the expense of the Crown. All 
     
     mechanics and labourers reside in barracks, 
     
     built expressly for the occasion ; but those who 
     
     are employed as clerks to any of the public 
     
     offices, are permitted to live elsewhere, and re- 
     
     ceive an annual pittance, varying from 1.10 to 
     
     1.18 per annum, together with a small sum for 
     
     clothing. The regulations in force with res- 
     
     pect to the whole body, and many of which are 
     
     elsewhere given, effectually render their con- 
     
     dition one ofunvarying punishment; for they 
     
     are not allowed to exercise either of titne or 
     
     talents for their own advantage, nor are they 
     
     suffered to possess property, even if they have 
     
     friends who would place such-at their disposal. 
     
     Those who are assigned to private -families, 
     
     must be born: fidc in the service of their mas- 
     
     ters. They are not allowed to live away from 
     
     this roof—must not be paid wages—nor work 
     
     for themselves—can go nowhere without a 
     
     pass—in fact, although possessing a sort of 
     
     comparatiVe liberty, are stillunder the closest 
     
     control imaginable. The Colonial Laws 
     
     against harbouring prisoners are extremely 
     
     severe; visiting with heavy fines all transgres- 
     
     son; and to which persons may very inno~ 
     
     cently render themselves liable, so various and 
     
     comprehensive are the enactments. It is only 
     
     within the last three or four years that the 
     
    
   
   
    
        
     
        
     
        
     
       
     
        
     
       
     
       
     
         
     
          
     
         
     
        
     
         
     
         
     
          
     
         
     
        
     
       
     
         
     
        
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     fit). 21 
     
    
   
   
    
     transportation system, so far as regards t‘ 
     
     Colony and New South Wales. has assum 
     
     that stern and rigid character by which it ' 
     
     now marked; since formerly, there were in.“ 
     
     channels open, by which much of its severity 
     
     was capable of being mitigated. Although - 
     
     has been under Colonel Auther’s government 
     
     that the rpstrictions and regulations no“. 
     
     force have been introduced, it is genera" 
     
     believed that ‘ orders from home,’ rather [1,“ 
     
     his own natural disposition, have been the 
     
     cause; for he has generally been remarked to 
     
     have greater pleasnre in lessening, than in 33, 
     
     gravating, human misery. and although strict 
     
     in enforcing obedience—unrelenting in u], 
     
     punishment of hardened offenders—and cap, 
     
     hle of turning a deaf ear. even to a well to” 
     
     tale, that has not a good cause in its 8npp0rt_ 
     
     yet, the indiscriminate line of treatment no. 
     
     pursued to all Crown prisoners is rather attri. 
     
     hated to others, whose hanlsthe governorh 
     
     atnereinstrument, than to himself. In many 
     
     respects however, the regulations that have 
     
     been adopted are very excellent, and have had 
     
     the best and tnost wholesome effect, not only 
     
     on the convict population generally, but on 
     
     many of the free inhabitants. The state of 
     
     persons who are sent hither for their offence: 
     
     should be one of punishment. They have no 
     
     right to expect otherwise; nor would it be ad- 
     
     visable that they should ever be led to think 
     
     differently; yet that which is misery to one 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     man, is thought nothing of by another, and it 
     
     is the indiscriminating, undeviating coum 
     
     that is now pursued, rtot the system itself, tint 
     
     is thought not to belong to Colonel Autber. 
     
     It is easy enough for people, sixteen thousand 
     
     miles distant, to legislate; but a discretion, 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
        
     
        
     
       
     
        
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     and a great one too, should always be vested 
     
     in the hands ofthe local authorities. 
     
    
   
   
    
     With regard to the second part of this sub. 
     
     ject, orthe in'lulgences that are open to pri. 
     
     soners of the crown, as a reward for good 
     
     conduct, they are principally, tickets of leave, 
     
     by which the holder is free from compulsory 
     
     labour and emancipations, which restore free: 
     
     dom, so far as regards the Colony, but do not 
     
     permit theindividual to leave it. But then 
     
     are other intermediate steps which may lit 
     
     considered to partake of the nature of' indnlv 
     
     gences, such as situations in the policem; 
     
     that are only conferred upon persons ot'gootl 
     
     charact r, but which open the road, at the end 
     
     ofa given period, to certain and considerable 
     
     advantages. The fixed rule with regard to in« 
     
     dulgence is, nndeviattng good conduct, ant 
     
     length ofservice. Persons who are transport- 
     
     ed for seven years. must have resided four it 
     
     the Colony, before they are admissible to! 
     
     ticket ofleave—for fourteen, six—for lifeielgm- 
     
     Emancipations may be hoped for, by fourlm 
     
     years’ men, at the end of two thirds of their 
     
     sentence, by those who are for life, after lit 
     
     ving been here twelve years; but one ring“ 
     
     act that shall have brought the individual be 
     
     fore a Magistrate, so as to have a record 0t 
     
     misbehaviour against his name, no matter it" 
     
    
   
   
    
         
     
       
     
       
     
        
     
        
     
       
     
        
     
       
     
          
     
         
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     events, whether you send the ‘ Devil’ or