y well feel proud of the result of his labours. This system of
pensions alluded to by the "Times" would become extremely applicable to
the troops employed in guarding the convicts on the proposed Atlantic
and Pacific Railway, and small villages, and ultimately cities, would,
no doubt, arise from such a source: but even the first outlay caused by
the employment of the convicts on such a work cannot be considered as
any extra expense to government; for these convicts must be fed, must be
employed, and must be guarded somewhere: and it will be shown hereafter
that government will be reimbursed not only her expenditure on account
of the convicts, but also her expenditure on account of the troops
required to guard them. In making his suggestions for the employment of
the convicts in 1836, Mr. Porter says, "There is unhappily but too much
reason for believing that the whole number of labourers who could be
thus profitably employed might be furnished from the criminal population
of Great Britain." And by a return given at the same time, it is shown
that the number of convicts from 1825 to 1833, both years inclusive, was
22,138, and that return did not include all the penal settlements. The
"Times" of the 18th January, 1848, in speaking of the expenditure of the
country, says, "Convicts at home and abroad have mounted from L111,306
to L378,000; certainly the law of increase is strongly marked on the
expense of crime." "If any body will cut down this figure, he will earn
the gratitude of the nation." This last expression of the Times has more
particular reference to the expense incurred for Ireland, but will no
doubt be acknowledged to be equally true as bearing upon the enormous
general increase of convict expenditure; and the more I reflect on this
subject, the more do I feel convinced that the employment of convict
labour in the Rocky Mountains,[see Note 22] and at several other points
of the Line of this proposed great National work, would produce a most
beneficial result, as a means of reducing the amount of crime, as even
an immediate saving of transport expense to England (unless indeed all
distant penal settlements are to be finally abandoned),[see Notes 21 and
45] and as an ultimate great advantage both to her own commerce, and to
that of her colonies; and here let it be recollected, that there is a
feeling abroad "to force upon government and the legislature a bold and
manly course in dealing with crime in general:" that