In the same authentic Documents, namely the Appendix (L. 1 & 2) page 103 of the 28th Report of the Select Committee on Finance, a Statement is given of the Expence which has been incurred by Government, "for or in respect of the Conviction, Confinement, and Maintenance of Convicts, from the 1st January, 1775, to the year ending the 31st December, 1797," of which the following is an abstract:

1 Jan.1775to 1 Jan.1776paid at the Exchequer£. 8,66000
—1776—1777—7,9501610
—1777—1778—13,676145
—1778—1779—17,939180
—1779—1780—22,292111½
—1780—1781—21,03401½
—1781—1782—18,686190
—1782—1783—22,320109
—1783—1784—17,669311
—1784—1785—31,5551811
—1785—1786—32,343177
—to 7 March 1786—9,353170
To 31 December 1786—22,282184
— 1787—33,92797
— 1788—34,059148
— 1789—62,656155
— 1790—46,86546
— 1791—43,84090
— 1792—22,300127
— 1793—25,403160
— 1794—25,75137½
— 1795—14,19574½
— 1796—36,17479
1797}—{19,5061511
1797}—{12,57400
Total Expence of Convicts in the
Hulks, from the Commencement
of the System to 1 January 1798		£.623,022145

The Contractors for the Convicts at Woolwich and Langston Harbour, (as appear from documents laid before the House of Commons) entered into an agreement with the Lords of the Treasury obliging themselves for the consideration of 1s. 3d. per day, (being 22l. 16s. 3d. a year for each Convict,) to provide at their own cost or charge, one or more Hulks, to keep the same in proper repair, to provide proper Ship's Companies for the safe Custody of such Convicts; and sufficient meat, drink, clothing and medical assistance, for the Convicts; as also to sustain all other charges (excepting the expence of the Chaplain, Coroner, and bounties to discharged Convicts;[145]) obeying, at the same time, all the orders of his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, respecting the Convicts. A subsequent contract was made at 14½d. which reduced the expence to 22l. 1s. 0½d. per man: and which is the allowance made to the present Contractors.

The terms of these contracts appear to be as favourable for Government as could reasonably be expected, under all circumstances; and it would appear, that some advantages are reaped by the Public, as the documents laid before the House of Commons in 1792 and 1798, shew that the labour performed by the Convicts is productive in a certain degree.—The following Statements explain how their labour is valued:—

From the 1st of January 1789 to the 1st of January 1792, it appears that 653,432 days' work had been performed at Langston Harbour, Portsmouth, and Woolwich Warren; which being estimated at 9d. a day, is£.24,503140
and
From the 1st of January 1789 to the 1st of January 1792, it also appears that 260,440 days' work had been performed at the Dock yard at Woolwich; which being partly performed by artificers in a more productive species of labour, is estimated at 1s. a day13,02200
Total value of Convicts' labour in 3 years£.37,525140

It appears from the 28th Report of the Select Committee on Finance, Appendix, No. 7 and 8—

That the work done by Convicts confined on board the Hulks in Langston Harbour, during the year 1797, was performed by about 421 convicts upon a daily average, and computing the labour of each artificer at 19l. 8s. 9d. per annum, and each labourer at 11l. 13s. 3d. it will amount to£.5,997183
The work performed in the same year by about 250 convicts, confined on board the Hulks at Portsmouth, computed as above will amount to3,226150
9,224133
From which is to be deducted, to make the amount correspond with the valuation made by the Ordnance Board1,44053
£.7,78480
The work done by convicts, confined on board the Prudentia and Stanislaus Hulks at Woolwich Dock-yards and Warren, performed by 359 convicts, rated at 1s. and 1s. 2d. for labourers, and 1s. 5d. per day for artificers, is calculated to amount to6,57847
£.14,362127
Deduct allowances made, and articles supplied, by the Board of Ordnance1,4981410½
Total Estimate of the value of the labour of Convicts in 1797£.12,863178½

Upon this last statement the Select Committee on Finance (whose various elaborate Reports on the State of the Nation, do them immortal honour as Patriots and Legislators) very justly observe, that it is extremely difficult to calculate the value of labour, performed under such circumstances, with any degree of accuracy; and after several views of the subject a conclusion is drawn, that the net expence to the Public, for the maintenance of 1402 convicts in 1797, after deducting the estimated value of labour, amounted to 20,878l. 14s. 10½d. being at the rate of 14l. 17s. 9½d. per man.