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The poor man's capital is his labour; he cannot in general find remunerative occupation for it here—he is desirous of investing it in Australia, in which country he is assured, even by his own relations and friends, that he will get for it a profitable return. How painful, then, is his position! He stands like a man anxiously wishing to be ferried over a deep and broad river, but without the means of crossing it: he sees a rich harvest before him, but cannot reach it by his own unaided exertions. If viewed, then, at this point, surely the humane and the benevolent—the good and the rich, will step forward to his aid, and help him to obtain a passage to that Colony, not as a pauper—not as a criminal; but in the more worthy position of a borrower.
In England, my Lord, a Society is much needed, the great moral aim of which should be, to check crime by protecting and encouraging virtue. A Society is required amongst us that will tend to discourage idleness and diminish pauperism, by holding out a wholesome stimulus to industry: a Society that will be as unanimous in its views, as it should be universal in its spirit of charity.
No one has shewn a more disinterested and earnest desire to ameliorate the condition of the Labouring Classes than your Lordship; and it ia delightful and heart-cheering to contemplate, that, eminent as your position is, you are surrounded and supported in every good work by numbers whose daily desire is to do good, and who, by their zeal and charity, are ever ready to promote any plan that is calculated to relieve distress. When, however, the plan proposed is to remove it as far as the nature of things can admit, a greater measure of exertion may be reasonably expected from all parties.
The vast sum necessary to carry out Colonization to any considerable extent, makes the task hopeless if taken up by the charitable alone. But their zealous endeavours, combined with the industrious and frugal efforts of the working classes themselves, assisted by benevolent loans from the rich, can accomplish much; nor is it consistent with the British character to be deterred from attempting a great work on account of the difficulties with which it may be surrounded. A labouring man however, before he borrows, should consider whether he will be able to repay the sum advanced to him; and in like manner he who lends, should make some enquiry into the character of the individual requiring such assistance.
At the mention of a loan to enable the mechanic and working man to emigrate, numbers hold up their hands and exclaim, "That class will never pay." There is something, However, in making this experiment, that cannot fail, my Lord, to elicit much moral worth and excellence; and, if successful, great will be our national joy; for we are proud enough of our highly civilised state; we dwell with complacency upon the large sums of money raised in a few days for building Churches and Schools; we challenge the whole world to produce a braver or more loyal body of men; we exult in the intelligence of our people; we boast of our machinery and our science; but what is all this, my Lord, if our people cannot be trusted with a few pounds to convey them from want to plenty? If their principles are so bad and so utterly worthless, humiliating as the fact would be, it will be necessary to enquire into the causes that have so degraded them. Entreated as I have been to appeal in behalf of those who promise better things, I can but regret that a more powerful pen than mine was not employed in so important a cause.
