"The circular addressed by his Excellency to the magistrates of this territory, has been made the subject of careful deliberation.
To his Excellency's first question—'Do you consider it desirable that the transportation of convicts to this colony should cease altogether?' we reply that it is our opinion transportation 'to this country should cease altogether.'
In connexion with this question we recognise the truth and importance of his Excellency's caution, that no 'material advantage' ought to 'balance against any amount of moral evil, however small;' we have therefore directed our attention to this point as preliminary to a decision on others less vital.
In examining the moral bearings of transportation, we have enquired—
1. Are there any moral evils occasioned by the transportation of convicts to the colony?
2. If so, are the moral evils now connected with transportation inherent and inseparable?
3. Can it be presumed that other, and greater moral evils will accrue to the colony from the stoppage of transportation?
It appears that the convicts in this colony out-number the children, and amount to nearly double the adult free population; that since the year 1840, 25,228 prisoners have been transported to Van Diemen's Land and its dependencies; that one fifth only of these are females; that the greater proportion of domestic servants as well as laborers are convicts; that they are in constant contact with every class of colonial society; and that though not universally, they are generally persons of bad principles and vicious habits.
The numerical preponderance of prisoners has lowered the general tone of society, encouraged fraud, obstructed the administration of justice, and so far multiplied crime as to discourage its prosecution; notwithstanding 521 persons were tried before the Supreme Court and Quarter Sessions, last year.
The second enquiry is,—are the evils in connection with transportation inherent and inseparable?