Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/593

 OPINIONS. 469 The only reference to the projected expedition to be found in stanhope's the memoirs o£ oontemporaiy statesmen is the following passage in Stanhope's Life of Pitt, vol i, p. 338 :— In the session of 1787 was passed the measure which laid the The foundation of new colonies, scarcely loss important than those ^i^^ **' which we had recently lost. The want of some fixed place for penal exile had been severely felt ever since the American War, and the accumulation of prisoners at home was counteracting the benevolent efforts of Howard for the improvement of the British gaols. The discoveries of Captain Cook were now remembered and turned to practical account. An Act of Parliament empowered his Majesty, by commission under the Great Seal, to establish a Go- varnment for the reception of convict prisoners in New South Wales. An Order-in-Council completed the necessary forms. Cap- tain Arthur Phillip, of the Boyal Navy, was appointed Governor, commanding a body of marines, and conveying six hundred male and two hundred and fifty female convicts. The expedition set p^rt sail in May, 1787, and early in the following year laid the founda- i^^°°^ tion of the new settlement at Port Jackson in Botany Bay. There is little or nothing to show that Pitt took any active part in organising the expedition* The only documents preserved in the Record Office whidi contain any mention of his name in con- nection with the matter relate to an estimate of the probable expenditure which he had called for. The following memo, from Nepean to Sir Charles Middleton is without date, but was Nepean to apparently written on the 12th December, 1786 ! — ton?^ Mr. Nepean presents bis compliments to Sir Charles Middletob, is desired by Mr. Pitt to request that he will order a statement to Mr. Pitt be made of the'expenses which it is supposed will be incurred under J^Sement the direction of the Navy Board for the providing of provisions, of oxpendi- clothing, implements, etc., for the convicts, and sending them out *"'®' to Botany Bay, including the expenses incurred for the detachment of marines. It is not expected that any statement which can now be made will be an accurate one, but Mr. Pitt wishes to obtain within a few days some information upon the busuiess which may lead him to form an opinion to what expense this establishment may be likely to amount. Mr. Nepean has applied to the Admiralty for information respect- ing the equipment of the Sirius and the Tender, and the annual ex- pense of their crews, as well as with regard to the pay of the marines. He has likewise applied to Mr. Rogers for an account of the value of the stores which have been supplied by the Board of Ordnance. To this memo. Sir Charles Middleton replied, on the 13th Middicton December, that he would " furnish Mr. Pitt with the information Nepean :- Digitized by Google