money. He was now a bushranger; settlers were in fear. Troopers and black trackers scoured the country; native tribes gave information. The fugitive had small chance; very few instances are chronicled where he got away.
The length of time a convict served under the system was to some extent determined by himself. His conduct could keep him in prison all his life or redeem his freedom within a reasonable time. His character, habits, and industry were marked down in books. Every officer who had to do with him tabulated a description of him in a book: the chaplain, medical officer, warders, instructing warders, librarian. The warder who superintended his work had the greatest power over him. The system of bookkeeping in the Convict Establishment was comprehensive and all embracing: every department kept a book; everybody (official) kept a book; nothing was likely to escape. According to the reports in these books was the duration of the prisoner's sentence.
The regular scale of gradations of a convict's history in sentences of Transportation prior to July, 1857, was:—
| Sentence. | Separate Confinement. |
Public Works. |
Ticket of Leave. |
License or Conditional Pardon. | ||||
| Years. | Mths. | Years. | Mths. | Years. | Mths. | Years. | Mths. | |
| 7 years … | — | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | — |
| 10 " … | — | 9 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | — |
| 12 " … | — | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 5 | — |
| 14 " … | — | 9 | 3 | — | 2 | 3 | 6 | — |
| 15 " … | — | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 18 " … | — | 9 | 4 | — | 2 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| 20 " … | — | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 8 | — |
| 21 " … | — | 9 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Life … | — | 9 | 5 | 3 | 4 | — | 10 | — |
The scale of remissions for English convicts sentenced to Penal Servitude for some time subsequent to 1st July, 1857, was:—
| Sentence. | Probation. | Tickets of Leave. |
Date of Conditional Pardon. | |||||
| Separate Confinement. |
Public Works. | |||||||
| Years. | Mths. | Years. | Mths. | Years. | Mths. | Years. | Mths. | |
| 3 years … | — | 9 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 2 | 6 |
| 4 " … | — | 9 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 |
| 5 " … | — | 9 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | 4 | — |
| 6 " … | — | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| 7 " … | — | 9 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | 5 | 3 |
| 8 " … | — | 9 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 6 | — |
| 10 " … | — | 9 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| 12 " … | — | 9 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 9 | — |
| 15 years and upwards … | — | 9 | 5 | — | 4 | 3 | 10 | — |
A third scale dealing with prisoners sentenced to penal servitude between 1st September, 1853, and 1st July, 1857, and transported to Western Australia, provided that each man must serve at least six months in prison. Over and above that term he must complete half his sentence with good conduct, when he was eligible to discharge on ticket of leave. He remained on ticket of leave for the terms laid down in Scale 2; life prisoners were eligible to ticket of leave at the end of eight years from the date of their sentences. The second scale soon became obsolete.
These scales dealt with those men whose conduct had been "very good," but in cases of "exemplary conduct" a man could win his ticket of leave at an earlier time. Before being awarded this passport he was examined by a doctor, who certified that he was able to get his own living, and his hair and beard were allowed to attain a four weeks' growth. These gradations were different from the English, and presented an opportunity for ticket of leave earlier.
Up till 1857 the old system of percentages for determining if a convict had earned by conduct a ticket of leave was followed in Western Australia. In that year Comptroller-General Henderson caused a system almost new to convict discipline to be introduced. A few years earlier Captain Knight compiled for the Penitentiaries of Ireland what was known as the Marks System. This system did not profess to aim at introducing a material change in duration of sentence; it only proposed to supply a new means of measuring a convict's eligibility to a ticket of leave. The mark system to the convict was as gold to the economist—a symbol for measuring his earnings. Another account was opened in the books. He could now earn by each day's labour a number of marks, determined by his industry, with the right of obtaining a ticket of leave when his total earnings reached an amount calculated according to the length of his sentence. He was debited with a certain number of marks which he must work off. Thus, under No. 1 scale, a prisoner sentenced to fifteen years was liable to serve four years before obtaining the ticket of leave. An ordinary day's work was described under the heading of "good conduct." The convict was debited with 4,380 marks to begin with. For good conduct he received three marks a day. On the basis that there are 1,460 days in four years, with three marks per day he would not receive his ticket of leave earlier than before. But he could do better than three marks. By exemplary industry and conduct he obtained four marks a day. For every three days of exemplary conduct he received remission of one day in his probation. A convict earning only one or two marks extended, of course, his period of probation. The scale of marks adopted was:—
| Conduct | To be represented by | |
| EX. (Exemplary) | … | 4 marks |
| V.G. (Very good) | … | 3 " |
| G. (Good) | … | 2 " |
| I. (Indifferent) | … | 1 " |
In a sentence of fifteen years, where the convict under ordinary circumstances served four years, the system worked out thus:—
| Scale. | Years. | Marks. | |
| V.G. … | 4 … | 1,460 days at | 3 = 4,380 |
| EX. … | 3 … | 1,095 " | 4 = 4,380 |
| G. … | 6 … | 2,190 " | 2 = 4,380 |
| I. … | 12 … | 4,380 " | 1 = 4,380 |
The number of marks the convict earned was quarterly posted in a list, which he could examine, so that he might learn how his account stood, and how many marks he had yet to earn. This was as a commercial ledger to the wayfarer through the convict system. A separate scale was issued for convict constables. Under what was termed the "intermediate system" a convict who was above suspicion was awarded this position of trust and responsibility. Under supervision always, he worked with other convicts, and was expected to show them an example of industry and probity. If he proved untrue to his trust, punishment was quick and severe. Convict constables were appointed owing to the difficulty of obtaining free men; they also effected a saving to the establishment. They were divided into three classes, and marks were awarded them accordingly:—1st class constables were allowed six marks per diem; 2nd class, five marks; and 3rd class, four marks.
So as not to give a strong convict an advantage over a weak one the men were classified; weak men worked with weak men. Only able-bodied men were sent out on road parties or to outstations. The marks were placed in a book at each day's end by the warder in charge of the convicts and an actual measurement of work done was made,
