126 Briiisk Set dement at f-.fFES, 



vcrnor, transports, whatever their conduct mi^ht be. were in no 

 instance penintted to boid places of trust and c nfidence, or 

 even to come to the Government House ; those advantages 

 being, in his opinion, nor to be expected until after generations. 



The same advantages as are allowed lo convicts having served 

 their time, are given to those who have been pardoned or eman-^ 

 cipated by the Governor ; and your committee do not wish to 

 dismiss the subject without making some observations upon the 

 power possessed by him of granting to convicts either the entire 

 or partial remission of their sentence, or tickets of leave, by 

 which they are altogether relieved from its severity. They do 

 not see any necessity for the Governor's possessing a power to 

 grant these absolute or conditional pardons ; it is a power liable 

 to great abuse, and which appears to have been at times very 

 much abused, it is in evidence, that ir) some years 150 pardons 

 have been granted : that pardons have been granted to convicts 

 immediately upon their arrival, without reference to their cha- 

 racters or merits ; and it appears rather to have at times been 

 Imade an instrument to gain popularity, than tiie means of 

 rewarding exemplary conduct by a well- deserved extension of 

 his Majesty's mercy. Your committee therefore sugirest, that 

 no pardon whatever, real or conditional, be granted hui through 

 the Secretary of State. This m.ay create a delay perhaps of a 

 year, in obtaining the pardon of any convict, but that inconve- 

 nience will not be great, for by granting to him a ticket of 

 leave, the convict will in the mean time be entirely relieved 

 from the pressure of his sentence. Upon the subject of tickets 

 of leave, your committee feel that the power of granting them 

 ought to remain in full force with the Governor ; but it is a 

 power which they would wish to see sparingly and cautiously 

 made use of ; and with this view they recommend that an annual 

 retura be made to the Secretary of State's office, of the number 

 of tickets of leave issued in the year, with a statement of the 

 grounds upon which each was granted. 



No difficulty appears to exist amongst the major part of the 

 men who do not wish to remain in the colony, of finding means 

 to return to this country. All but the aged and inUrm easily 

 find employment on board the ships visiting New South Wales, 

 and are allowed to v/ork their passage home ; but such facility is 

 not afforded to the women : they have no possible method of 

 leaving the colony but by prostituting themselves on board the 

 ships whose masters may chuse to receive them. They who are 

 sent to New South Wales, that their former habits may be 

 relinquished, cannot obtain a return to this country, but by 

 relapsing into that mode of life, which with many has been the 

 first cause of all their crimes and misfortunes. To those who 

 shrink from these means^ or are unable even thus to obtain a 



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