i813j 



New South Wales, 



123 



the most abandoned description, and that in many instances tliej 

 are likely to whet and to encourage the vices of the men, whilst 

 but a small proportion will make any step towards reformation; 

 but yet, with all their vices, such women as these were the 

 mothers of a great part of the inhabitants now existing in the 

 colony, and from this stock only can a reasonable hope be held 

 out of rapid increase to the population ; upon which incres^e, 

 here, as in all infant colonies, its growing prosperity in great 

 measure depends. Let it be remembered too, how much misery 

 and vice are likely to prevail in a society in which the women 

 bear no proportion to the men ; in the colony at present, the 

 number of men compared to that of women, is as two to one ; 

 to this, in great measure, the prevalence of prostitution is 

 reasonably to be attributed ; but increase that proportion, and 

 the temptation to abandoned vices will also be increased, and 

 the hopes of establishing feelings of decency and morality 

 amongst the lower classes will be still farther removed. 



The supply of women to the colony must, however, be 

 materially diminished by the proposed system of employing 

 convicts in penitentiary houses ; and your committee think this 

 an additional reason for affording increased facilities to the wives 

 of male convicts, who may wish to accompany or follow their 

 husbands to New South Wales. This permission is now seldom 

 granted, and that only to the wives of men transported for life 

 or for 14 years. It is, however, the most eligible way of providing 

 the colony with women, and one which may with very great 

 advantage be much extended. 



At the expiration of the time to which the convicts have been 

 sientenced, their freedom is at once obtained, and they are at 

 liberty either to return to this country, or to settle in New^ South 

 Wales ; should the latter be their choice, a grant is made to the 

 unmarried of 40 acres of land, and to the married of some- 

 thing more for the wife and each child : tools and stock (which 

 they are not allowed to alienate) are also given to them, and 

 for 18 months they are victualled from the Government stores. 

 In this manner they have an opportunity of establishing them- 

 selves in independence, and by proper conduct to regain a 

 respectable place in society ; and such instances, your committee 

 are glad to learn, are not unfrequent. They also see with satis- 

 faction, that Governor Macquarie adopts it as a principle, " that 

 long-tried good conduct should lead a man back to that rank in 

 society which he had forfeited, and do away, in as far as the case 

 will admit, all retrospect of former bad conduct : " this appears 

 to him to be the greatest " inducement that can be held out 

 towards the reformation of the manners of the inhabitants." la 

 these principles your committee cordially concur, and are the 

 more anxious to express their opinion, as, under a former Go- 



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