§ MR. MASTERMANbegged to inquire whether it was intended by Government to take any measures in the course of the present Session to restrain the desertion of Seamen in the Australian ports?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONsaid, that the question of the hon. Member for the City of London was one which related to a portion, and that not the least important portion, of that most extraordinary emergency which had arisen in two of the Australian Colonies, in consequence of the recent discovery of gold in that region of the world—an emergency to which he assured the hon. Member the assiduous attention of Her Majesty's Government had been, and would continue to be, most seriously directed. With a view to correct the misapprehension which existed as to the precise number of the ships from which desertion had taken place, he had procured some information on the point, so far as concerned the port of Melbourne—that part of the colony where the largest discoveries of gold had been made, and where the evils of desertion were most complained of. It appeared that, on the 6th of January in the present year, there were thirty-five ships in that port; the aggregate number of their crews was 816, and out of that number 417 had deserted. The most pressing representations had been made to Her Majesty's Government on this subject by the Governors of two of the Australian colonies — New South Wales and Port Phillip; and repeated despatches had been received, urging on the Government the necessity of military and other assistance, under the existing state of circumstances. It was only the other day 631 that there had been received at the Colonial Office a despatch from the Governor of Victoria, urging the same course, and again pressing on the most serious consideration of the Government the great evils that must result both to the Colonies and to the mother country in consequence of the systematic practice of desertion from merchant ships. Under these circumstances, Her Majesty's Government had felt it to be their duty to give the required assistance to the Australian Colonies. They considered that the Colonies had a right to expect assistance in those respects in which they were not able to afford assistance to themselves. It had, therefore, been decided by Her Majesty's Government to send to Australia the service companies of a regiment of infantry, to be divided in the proportion of two companies to Sydney, and four to Melbourne—the requirements of the case being most urgent in the latter port. The Government, however, having regard to the fact that the financial condition of these colonies, especially of Victoria, was very prosperous, considered that they had a right to call on the Colonies to bear the whole expense of this military assistance, not only in paying and supporting the troops, but also in providing for them the necessary barrack accommodation, and they had caused an intimation to that effect to be conveyed to the Colonial Government. They had also thought it right that the assistance of a man-of-war should be afforded to the port of Melbourne, with special reference to desertion from the merchant ships sojourning in that port. The presence of a man-of war had been found exceedingly serviceable in abating the evil at Sydney, and the Government had accordingly given directions that one of the ships in the Australian seas should proceed without delay to the port of Melbourne. It was only that morning that he had sent to the Governor of Victoria ample information of all these proceedings, accompanied with instructions that he should put himself in communication with the officer in command of the man-of-war. Regard being had to the zeal and ability which both the Governors of the Australian Colonies had invariably displayed in the discharge of their official duties, and to the pecuniary resources at their command, it was to be hoped that the measures which had now been adopted would be found sufficient to check an evil which was calculated to inflict so serious an injury upon the interests 632 of commerce, both at home and in the Colonies.
§ MR. GLADSTONEsaid, he had listened with great interest to the statement of the right hon Baronet; and he should be extremely glad if his effort to throw the whole of these expenses upon the colonists should be successful; but wished to be informed whether the right hon. Baronet possessed the power to enforce so desirable an object as that to which he had adverted, namely, the payment of the expenses by the Colonies themselves?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONsaid, that he had resorted for that purpose to the only expedient that appeared to be at his command, for he had made the continuance of the military assistance conditional on payment of the expense.
§ MR. HUMEsaid, that he had an observation relative to Australia to offer on this subject; and that he might acquire the right of offering it, he begged leave to move that the House, at its rising, do adjourn to Monday next. He confessed he was not very sanguine in his expectation that the sending out of troops would have the effect of preventing desertion from the shipping. He hoped, however, that it might contribute to that object. But there was another matter, of scarcely less importance than the desertion of seamen, to which he was anxious to refer. He alluded to the prospect of the sheepmasters in Australia, and, as incidentally connected with the subject, to the probable prospects of the manufacturers in this country, many of whom were apprehensive that there would be an inadequate supply of wool for manufacturing purposes, if the sheep-walks of Australia were to be deserted for gold digging. Nothing could be more deplorable than the present condition of some of the working classes of our own people, more especially of the hand-loom weavers in Scotland and in the north of England. In Lanarkshire alone there were now between 3,000 and 4,000 hand-loom weavers, who only earned 4s. a week; and he suggested to the Government whether, with a view to better the deplorable condition of these poor people, and at the same time to supply the deficiency of labour in the Colonies, it might not be judicious to devise some plan for paying their expenses out, on condition of their agreeing to work as shepherds for a stated period—say for one year.
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONthought it would be scarcely fair inconsiderately to 633 entice the Government into a pledge on a matter of such great importance, and, he could not help adding, on a matter of such an unusual nature, as that referred to by the hon. Member for Montrose. With respect not only to the hand-loom weavers, hut to all other mechanics and labourers who might feel disposed to emigrate to Australia, he would take that opportunity to state that there existed in the Colony the strongest anxiety that they should do so. There had recently been received from the Australian Colonies several large remittances for the promotion of emigration from the mother country. Victoria had recently transmitted 130,000l. for that purpose, which, with the sum then in hand, left between 160,000l. and 170,000l. disposable for the purpose of emigration to Victoria. New South Wales had also sent home about 70,000l. for the same purpose; and he was now in communication with the Emigration Commissioners as to the mode in which that sum could be most beneficially expended.
MR. CLAYsaid, that the right hon. Gentleman, in reply to the question of the hon. Gentleman the Member for the City of London (Mr. Masterman), had spoken only of desertion among the crews of merchant ships. Could the right hon. Gentleman give the House any information with respect to the amount of desertion among the shepherds of the Colony? He (Mr. Clay) had seen private letters which stated that the desertion among the shepherds was not very general.
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONwas unable at the moment to give an answer to the hon. Gentleman's question.
§ Subject dropped.