Little diminution,
however, has taken place in those moral evils, which seem to be the
necessary consequences of the close contact and communication between so
many criminals, both during the period of confinement previous to
embarkation, and during the weariness of a long voyage.
As soon as a convict vessel reaches its place of destination, a report
is made by the surgeon-superintendent to the governor. A day is then
appointed for the colonial secretary or for his deputy to go on board to
muster the convicts, and to hear their complaints, if they have any to
make. The male convicts are subsequently removed to the convict
barracks; the females to the penitentiaries. In New South Wales,
however, regulations have lately been established, by which, in most
cases, female convicts are enabled to proceed at once from the ship to
private service. It is the duty of an officer, called the principal
superintendent of convicts, to classify the newly-arrived convicts, the
greater portion of whom are distributed amongst the settlers as
assigned servants; the remainder are either retained in the employment
of the government, or some few of them are sent to the penal
settlements.
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