Bold Dick Donahue [pp. 113-124]

BOLD DICK DONAHUE.
BOLD DICK DONAHUE.
EVENTY years ago the only free ing influences of public opinion, the
settlers in New South Wales, one authorities, high and low, exercised gen of the colonies of Australia, were Gov- erally a cruel despotism over the unhap ernment officials, discharged soldiers, py convicts. Crime was sought to be
and emancipated convicts, together with a repressed by violence alone - punish sprinkling of"younger sons," who came ment, and not the reformation, of the
out from the mother country to pursue criminal was the ruling principle. There
the occupation of sheep-farming. These were only two classes - settlers and
"younger sons," however, were not the officials on the one hand, and convicts
"younger sons" of the aristocracy, or on the other; and these two social
of any of the wealthy classes, but of elements were in antagonism and at
farmers, mechanics, and reduced coun- perpetual war with each other. The set try gentlemen, and had, to begin the tlers, whose only pursuits were stock world with, a great deal more courage raising and wool-growing, obtained from
than cash. the Government as many convicts as
There are now in Australia five colo- they chose to feed, clothe, and house.
nies-all important, and some flourish- Those of the convicts not wanted
ing; but at the period from which our by settlers were employed on Gov narrative lates, there was but the colo- ernment works, such as making roads,
ny of New South Wales, a large tract clearing the forest, or building docks.
of country on the south-eastern coast of It would be presumed that settlers
that vast island. who obtained servants on such easy
In the infancy of the colony, New conditions would have been kind and
South Wales was interesting and valua- indulgent; and that officials whose only
ble to the parent country, as an outlet business was to superintend public
for its criminal population rather than as works from which they were supposed
affording scope for enterprise or induce- to derive no immediate pecuniary profit,
ments to capital: and thither, therefore, would have been as lenient as possible
was transported the felonry of the three to the workmen-yet the case was far
kingdoms. Crime and vice of every hue otherwise. The settlers punished the
found there their respective representa- servants by flogging, and cheated them
tives-from the murderer to the pick- out of their stipulated allowance of food
pocket, and from the genteel lady shop- and clothing; and the officials sold a
lifter to the "pest of cities." To keep great deal of the commissariat stores
such a population in any thinglike order sent out for the use of the convicts
strong detachments of military usually and pocketed the proceeds. The conseaccompanied every cargo of felons, so quence was, that the latter were in a
that the colony partook as much of the chronic state of mutiny; and that their
characterrof a garrison as that of an masters, both settlers and officials, from
ordinary settlement. long habit of unchecked and licentious
As might be expected in such a state wrong-doing, were too readily disposed
of society, military domination assumed to resort to the most violent measures of
the place of law; and there at the end repression. Crime and violence were
of the earth, and beyond the correct- therefore rampant; and the effect on
I869.]
113