§ Mr. Hindleybegged to call the attention of the noble Lord, the Secretary for the Colonies to a petition which had been presented on a former evening from the Society for the protection of the Aborigines in the British Colonies. That petition complained that two natives of South Australia had been hanged for the alleged murder of two Europeans, and that no sufficient proof of their guilt had been adduced; that in fact they had not had a fair trial, and that their execution under such circumstances was little short of murder, and was, therefore, not at all calculated to answer the only end for which punishment was intended—namely, the prevention of crime. He wished to know from the noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) whether (as we understood) any steps had been taken on the subject by the Colonial Department?
§ Lord J. Russellwas understood to say, that the parties alluded to had been fairly tried, and that there was a protector of aborigines in the colony, who would, of course take cognizance of the affair.
§ Mr. Hindleyasked of what use was a protector of aborigines, with a salary of 400l. a-year, if such scenes were suffered to pass with impunity.
§ Conversation at an end.