BroughamsaidintheHouseofCommonsthattherewasnomanwhovisited
theCriminalCourtswhodidnotseethefearfuloddsagainsttheprisoner。
ThisanomalywaspeculiartoEngland，andinEnglanditwaspeculiartocases
offelony。Mentriedformisdemeanours，orfortreason，orbeforetheHouse
ofLordscouldanswerbythemouthofcounsel。Itwasonlyinthosecases
wheretheprisonerswerealmostalwayspooranduneducatedmenandwomen，
asLordAlthorppointedoutinanadmirablespeechintheHouseofCommons，
thattheaccusedwaslefttoshiftforhimself。Twice，in1824andin1826，
theHouseofCommonsrefusedleavetobringinaBilltoredressthisflagrant
injustice，encouragedinthatrefusalnotonlybyCanning，but，whatismuch
moresurprising，byPeel。
Thefavoriteargumentagainstthisreform，takingprecedenceofthearguments
thattoallowpersonstheaidofcounselinputtingtheirstatementoffact
wouldmakejusticeslower，moreexpensive，andmoretheatrical，wasthecontention
thatthejudgedid，inpointoffact，representtheinterestoftheprisoner：
aconfusedpleawhichitdidnotrequireanyveryhighlydevelopedgiftof
penetrationtodissect。Buthowfar，inpointoffact，werethejudgesable
toenterintothepoorprisoner’smind？Theyhadthepowerofsentencing
todeathforhundredsoftrivialoffences。Itwasthecustomtopassthe
brutalsentencewhichthelawallowedtobeinflictedforfelonies。andthen
tocommuteitinallexceptafewcases。Bywhatconsiderationsdidjudges
decidewhentobesevere？LordEllenboroughtoldLauderdalethathehadleft
amantobehangedattheWorcesterAssizesbecausehelolledouthistongue
andpretendedtobeanidiot，onwhichLauderdaleaskedtheChiefJustice
whatlawtherewastopunishthatparticularoffencewithdeath。Welearn
fromRomilly’sMemoirs63*thatonejudgeleftthreementobehangedfor
theftsattheMaidstoneAssizesbecausenoneofthemcouldbringawitness
tohischaracter。
Thesamedispositiontotrusttothediscretionofthejudge，whichCamden
describedasthelawoftyrants，explainsthevitalityofthesystemofprescribing
deathasthepunishmentforhundredsofpaltryoffences。Duringthelast
fiftyyearstheenergyofParliamentinpassingEnclosureActshadbeenonly
rivalledbyitsenergyincreatingcapitaloffences。Theresultwasapenal
codewhichhadbeencondemnedbyalmosteveryEnglishmanofreputeofthe
mostvariousopinions，fromBlackstone，Johnson，andGoldsmithtoBurkeand
Bentham。Thissystemmadethepoormanthepreyofhisrichneighbours。The
mostfuriouspunishmentswereheldinterroremovertheheadsofprisoners，
andthewretchedmanwhowascaughtinthenetwasexposedtoalltheanimosities
thathemighthaveprovokedinhisordinarylife。Dr。Parrputthispoint
writingtoRomillyin1811。
’Thereis，indeed，oneconsiderationinthecaseofbadmenwhichought
tohaveagreaterweightthanitusuallyhasinthemindsoftheJudges，
dislikefromparty，quarrelswithservantsorneighbours，offencejustly
orunjustlytakeninaquarrel，jealousyaboutgame，andtwentyothermatters
ofthesamesort，frequentlyinducementowishtogetridofaconvicted
person：andwelldoesitbehoveeveryJudgetobesurethatthepersonwho
recommendstheexecutionofthesentenceisamanofveracity，ofsense，
ofimpartialityandkindnessofnatureinthehabitualcharacterofhismind。
IrememberhearingfromSergeantWhitakerthat，whilehewastryingaman
foracapitaloffenceatNorwich，apersonbroughthimamessagefromthe
lateLordSuffield，“thattheprisonerwasagood-for-nothingfellow，
andhehopedtheJudgewouldlooktohim；“andtheSergeantkindled
withindignation，andexclaimed，inthehearingoftheCourt，“Zounds！
wouldSirHarbordHarbordhavemecondemnthemanbeforeIhavetried。him？”
WhatSirHarborddidduringthetrial，manysquiresandjusticesofthepeace，
uponotheroccasions，doafterit；andwereIaJudge，Ishouldlistenwith
greatcautiontoallunfavourablerepresentations。Therich，theproud，the
irascible，andthevindictiveareveryunfittoestimatethevalueoflife
totheirinferiors。’64*
Wecanseehowthesquiresandthejusticeswouldcloseinroundaman
ofwhomtheywanted，withthebestintentionsintheworld，toridtheir
parish，woods，andwarrens，whenthepunishmenthewastoreceiveturned
onhisreputationasitwasestimatedbythegentlemenofhisneighbourhood。
WasSirHarbordHarbordveryfarremovedfromthestateofminddescribed
intheSixthSatireofJuvenal？
’“Ponecrucemservo。”“Meruitquocrimineservus。
Supplicium？quistestisadest？quisdetulit？Audi：
Nullaunquamdemortehominiscunctatiolongaest。”
“Odemens，itaservushomoest？nilfecerit，esto：
Hocvolo，sicjubeo，sitprorationevoluntas。”’
AndSirHarbordHarbordhadinhundredsofcaseswhathehadnotinthis
case，thepowertowreakhisangeron’agood-for-nothingfellow。’
WhenRomillyenteredonhisnoblecrusadeandtriedverycautiouslyto
persuadeParliamenttorepealthedeathpenaltyincasesinwhichitwas
rarelycarriedout，hefoundthechiefobstacleinhiswaywasthefearthat
becamecommonamongthegoverningclassatthistime，thefearthatexisting
methodsofpunishmentwereceasingtobedeterrent。In1810hecarriedhis
Bill，forabolishingthispenaltyforthecrimeofstealingprivatelyto
theamountoffiveshillingsinashop，throughtheHouseofCommons，and
theBillwasintroducedintheHouseofLordsbyLordHolland。Thereitwas
rejectedbytwenty-onetoeleven，themajorityincludingtheArchbishopof
Canterburyandsixotherbishops。65*ThechiefspeechesagainsttheBill
weremadebyEldonandEllenborough。Ellenborougharguedthattransportation
wasregarded，andjustlyregarded，bythosewhoviolatedthelawas’asummer
airingbyaneasymigrationtoamilderclimate。’
Thenightmarethatpunishmentwasgrowinggentleandattractivetothe
poorcametohauntthemindofthegoverningclass。Itwasfoundedonthe
beliefthatashumanwretchednesswasincreasing，therewasasortoflaw
ofMalthus，bywhichhumanendurancetendedtooutgrowtheresourcesofrepression。
Theagriculturallabourersweresinkingintosuchadeplorableplightthat
someofthemfounditarelieftobecommittedtotheHouseofCorrection，
where，atleast，theyobtainedfoodandemployment，andthemagistratesbegan
tofearinconsequencethatordinarypunishmentscouldnolongerberegarded
asdeterrent，andtoreasonthatsomeconditionhadyettobediscovered
whichwouldbemoremiserablethanthegeneralexistenceofthepoor。The
justiceswhopunishedWiltshirepoachersfoundsuchanElDoradoofunhappiness
intransportation。Butdisturbingrumourscametotheearsoftheauthorities
thattransportationwasnotthoughtaveryterriblepunishmentafterall，
andtheGovernmentsentouttoSirGeorgeArthur，theGovernorofVanDiemen’s
Land，certaincomplaintsofthiskind。TheanswerwhichtheGovernorreturned
ispublishedwiththeReportoftheCommitteeonSecondaryPunishments，and
thecompletecorrespondenceformsaveryremarkablesetofParliamentary
Papers。TheGovernorpointedoutthatthesecomplaints，whichmadesuchan
impressiononLordMelbourne，camefromemployersinAustralia，whowanted
tohavegreatercontrolovertheirservants。Arthurwasnosentimentalist；
hissympathieshadbeendrilledintwohardschools，thearmyandthegovernment
ofprisoners；hisaccountofhisownmethodsshowsthatindescribingthe
lifeofaconvicthewasinnodangeroffallingintotheexaggerationsor
therhetoricofpity。Intheselettershemadeitveryclearthatnobody
whoknewwhattransportationmeantcouldevermakethemistakeofthinking
italightpunishment。Theordinaryconvictwasassignedtoasettler。’Deprived
ofliberty，exposedtoallthecapriceofthefamilytowhoseservicehe
mayhappentobeassigned，andsubjecttothemostsummarylaws，thecondition
ofaconvictinnorespectdiffersfromthatofaslave，exceptthathis
mastercannotapplycorporalpunishmentbyhisownhandsorthoseofhis
overseer，andhasapropertyinhimforalimitedperiodonly。’Further，
’idlenessandinsolenceofexpression，orevenoflooks，anythingbetraying
theinsurgentspirit，subjectshimtothechain-gang，orthetriangle，or
tohardlabourontheroads。’66*Wecanimaginewhatthelifeofanordinary
convictmightbecome。Inearlierdayseveryconvictwhowentoutbeganas
anassignedservant，anditwasonlyformisconductinthecolonyoronthe
waythitherthathewassenttoaPenalSettlement，butthegrowingalarm
oftherulingclassonthesubjectofpunishmentledtoademandformore
drasticsentences，andshortlyafterthecloseofourperiodLordMelbourne
introducedanewsystem，underwhichconvictsmightbesentencedfromhome
tothePenalSettlement，andanyjudgewhothoughtbadlyofaprisonermight
addthishideouspunishmenttotransportation。
ThelifeoftheseSettlementshasbeendescribedinoneofthemostvivid
andterriblebookseverwritten。NobodycanreadMarcusClarke’sgreatnovel
withoutfeelingthatthemethodsofbarbarismhaddonetheirworstandmost
devilishinMacquarieHarbourandPortArthur。ThelotoftheprisonersinResurrectionisbycomparisonaparadise。Notasinglefeaturethat
canrevoltandstupefytheimaginationiswantingtothepicture。Children
oftencommittingsuicide，menmurderingeachotherbycompactaSanescape
fromahelltheycouldnolongerbear，prisonersreceivingadeathsentence
withecstasiesofdelight，punishmentsinflictedthatareindistinguishable
fromtorture，menstealingintotheparchedbushingroups，inthehorrible
hopethatoneortwoofthemmightmaketheirwaytofreedombydevouring
theircomrades——anatmosphereinwhichthelastfaintglimmerofself-respect
andhumanfeelingwasextinguishedbyincessantanddegradingcruelty。Few
bookshavebeenwritteninanylanguagemoreterribletoread。Yetnota
singleincidentorfeatureisimaginary：thewholepictureisdrawnfrom
thecoldfactsoftheofficialreports。67*Andthissystemwasnotthe
inventionofsomeNeroorCaligula；itwasthesystemimposedbymenofgentle
andrefinedmanners，whotalkedtoeachotherinVirgilandLucanofliberty
andjustice，whowouldhavediedwithoutamurmurtosaveaFrenchprincess
fromanhour’spainorshame，whoputdowntheabominationsoftheSlave
Trade，andallowedCliveandWarrenHastingstobeindictedatthebarof
publicopinionasmonstersofinhumanity；anditwasimposedbythemfrom
thebeliefthatasthepoorwerebecomingpoorer，onlyasystemofpunishment
thatwasbecomingmorebrutalcoulddeterthemfromcrime。
Ifwewanttounderstandhowcompletelyalltheirnaturalfeelingswere
lostinthisabsorbingfear，wemustturntothepicturegivenbyanobserver
whowasoutsidetheirworld；anobserverwhocouldenterintothemisery
ofthepunished，andcoulddescribewhattransportationmeanttoboysof
nineandten，exposedtothemostbrutalappetitesofsavagemen；tochained
convicts，packedforthenightinboxessonarrowthattheycouldonlylie
ononeside；tocrushedandbrokenmen，whoseonlyprayeritwastodie。
Fromhimwelearnhowthesescenesandsurroundingsimpressedamindthat
couldlookuponaconvictsettlementasasocietyoflivingmenandboys，
andnotmerelyastheCloacaMaximaofpropertyandorder。68*
8。’ItwasduringthewarthatthecottagersofEnglandwerechieflydeprived
ofthelittlepiecesoflandandgarden，andmadesolelydependentforsubsistence
onthewagesoftheirdailylabour，orthepoorrates。Land，andtheproduce
ofit，hadbecomesovaluable，thatthelabourerwasenviedtheoccupation
ofthesmallestpieceofgroundwhichhepossessed：andeven“thebare-worn
common“wasdenied。’KentishChronicle，December14，1830。
AgriculturalStateoftheKingdom，BoardofAgriculture，1816，