Sir S Romilly,in rising to make his motion for a committee to inquire into the state of punishment by transportation to New South Wales, said, that as it was not likely it would meet with any opposition, he should not trouble the House with many words on the subject. All he felt anxious for was, that the House should receive the necessary information, not only as to the effect, but as to the nature of the punishment of transportation to New South Wales. It was extremely important that the House should be informed on both of those points. We who were every day adding to our penal code, must feel it of extreme importance that both the nature and effect of such a punishment as this should be known, not only to those who made the laws, bet to those who administered the punishment annexed to the violation of them. Many of our magistrates were quite uninformed, not only as to the nature and extent of this punishment, but also as to the effects produced by the infliction of it. There were many offences of a very slight nature, when compared with others, to which this punishment was annexed and inflicted. It behoved the 'House, therefore, to be better acquainted on this subject than they at present were. 762 —The object of his motion was not to impute suspicion or censure to any class of persons. But when he considered that the House was in possession of so little information respecting the colony of New South Wales, and that the information which existed, and was to be found in the works of Mr. Collins and Mr. Mason, could not be said to come before the House in an authentic form, he felt strongly that no serious objection could be urged against bis motion. The practice of transporting to Botany Bay had now prevailed since 1792: it was in every respect different from the former system of transportation to the American colonies; and, as a new experiment, deserved the fullest enquiry. He moved, therefore, "That a Committee be appointed to inquire into the manner in which sentences of transportation have been executed, and into the effects which have been produced by that mode of punishment."
§ After a short conversation the question was put and agreed to.