AUSTRALIA.—DISCONTENTS CREATED BY THE TRANSPORTATION QUESTION.
The Australian colonies were generally prosperous in 1849; few new incidents of any kind occurred, and none to make the year peculiar in history. The convict question, however, caused uneasiness. In Van Diemen’s Land horrible outrages were committed by “ticket-of-leave men,” and some parts of the island resembled pandemonium.
At New South Wales, much discontent was created by the English Colonial-office violating an existing compact with that colony, to send them no more convicts, and the Assembly passed the following resolutions—“1. That, considering the arbitrary and faithless manner in which this colony has been treated by the Right Honourable Earl Grey, this meeting most humbly prays her majesty to remove that nobleman from her majesty’s councils.—2. That it is indispensable to the well-being of this colony, and to the satisfactory conduct of its affairs, that its government should no longer be administered by the remote, ill-informed, and irresponsible Colonial-office, but by ministers chosen from, and responsible to, the colonists themselves, in accordance with the principles of the British constitution.—3. That this meeting, having unanimously agreed to the preceding two resolutions, the following humble address to her most excellent majesty the queen, embodying them, be adopted, and that such address be signed by the chairman on behalf of the meeting. [The address was a mere transcription of the resolutions, placed in the ordinary form.]—4. That, considering the discourtesy shown by his excellency the governor to the former meeting, and to its deputation, this meeting abstains from appointing a deputation to wait upon his excellency with the preceding resolutions and address; but requests the chairman to transmit them to him, with a written request that his excellency will be pleased to forward it to her majesty the queen for her gracious consideration.”
With reference to the arrival of convicts which had just taken place, the Sydney Morning Herald had the following:—“All the convicts will be removed from the ship this morning. They have all been engaged. In addition to those previously mentioned, a large draft was sent to Paramatta on Saturday. The forty-five sent to Moreton Bay were forwarded at the expense of the government, not being under any engagement, but merely sent to the district in order that the settlers may have the opportunity of hiring them. All the rest have been taken from the ship at the expense of the employers. We believe that the only restrictions are that the men shall not be landed in Sydney, and that they shall not be employed in the county of Cumberland.”
The policy of Earl Grey was, for the time being, carried out.