Mr Secretary Peel, in moving the commitment of the Transportation Bill, stated, that the objects of the bill were, first, to continue the laws on transportation, that would expire before the next session ; and next, to cimplify the law. In the last session a bill had been passed to enable the Crown to make an experiment of the union of the hulk and transportation system, by sending convicts to Bermuda. There had been as yet hardly time to decide fully on the experiment, but, as far as it could be judged of, it was satisfactory. It had been hithero complained that transportation was a very esqual punishment, and certainly there was a great different in the effect of the punishment upon a man of settled habits, and with a family, and upon a man of no fixed habits, to whom, as hitherto managed, it had scarcely been a punishment. He wished it to be known, that arrangements had been made in New South Wales, to send some of the convicts to a distant part of the settlement, where the punishment would be more severe. A selection would be made from the convicts, so as to make the punishment efficient against those to whom it had hitherto had no terror.– He gave this statement because it was right the public should know that transportation would be henceforward a real punishment.


Citation: Scotsman (Edinburgh, United Kingdom), 09 June 1824, available at the Scissors and Paste Database, http://www.scissorsandpaste.net/200.