Fifty years ago . iminalsare permitted to walk during the day. They slept ona mat, and in former days had but twenty-four hoursbetween sentence and execution, with bread and waterfor all their food. Transportation still went on, with the horrors of theconvict ship, the convict hulks, and the convict esta-blishments of New South Wales and Tasmania. The 76 FIFTY YEARS AGO horrors of the system have always seemed to meas formmg an unessential part of the system. Withbetter management on modern ideas, transportationshould be far better than the present system of hope-less punishment by long period
Fifty years ago . iminalsare permitted to walk during the day. They slept ona mat, and in former days had but twenty-four hoursbetween sentence and execution, with bread and waterfor all their food. Transportation still went on, with the horrors of theconvict ship, the convict hulks, and the convict esta-blishments of New South Wales and Tasmania. The 76 FIFTY YEARS AGO horrors of the system have always seemed to meas formmg an unessential part of the system. Withbetter management on modern ideas, transportationshould be far better than the present system of hope-less punishment by long periods of imprisonment. Wecan never return to transportation as far as any colonyis concerned, but I venture to prophesy that the nextchange of the penal laws will be the re-estabhshment oftransportation with the prospect of release, a gift ofland, and a better chance for an honest life. Meantime the following lines belong to Fifty YearsAgo. They are the Farewell of convicts about to sailfor Botany Bay : THE DARBY Come, Bet, my pet, and Sal, my pal, a buss, and then farewell—And Ned, the primest ruffling cove that ever naild a swell—To share the swag, or chaff the gab, well never meet hulks is now my bowsing crib, the hold my dossing nab the bib, my Bet, this chance must happen soon or later,For certain sure it is that transportation comes by natur ;His lordships self, upon the bench, so downie his white wig in,Might sail with me, if friends had he to bring him up to priggin;And is it not unkimmon fly in them as rules the make us end, with Botany, our public edication ?But Sal, so kind, be sure you mind the beaks dont catch you tripping,Youll find it hard to be for shopping sent on board the shipping :So tip your mauns afore we parts, dont blear your eyes and nose,Another grip, my jolly hearts—heres luck, and off we goes ! WITH THE PEOPLE 77 Debtors prisons were in full swing. There wereWhitecross Street Prison, built in 1813 for the exclusiv
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Keywords: ., bookauthorwordsworthcollection, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880
