333 PAPERS EXPLANATORY OF THE CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST LIEUT. GEN. DARLING BY WILLIAM CHARLES WENTWORTH, ESQ Published by The House of Commons, London, July 1830. 60pp. Folio, in recent binding. An extremely fine fresh copy. British Parliamentary Paper HC586. Ferguson 1355. Wentworth, an outspoken emancipist sought to impeach Governor Darling, principally over the Sudds incident. In this Parliamentary Paper the Colonial Secretary presented correspondence on the Wentworth-Darling affair but with the omission of a key document, Wentworth’s letter laying out his case for impeachment.The report therefore presented all relevant correspondence whilst omitting the case for impeachment that formed the crux of the whole affair. Parliamentary papers of this period are rare as it was not until 1835 that such papers were available for public sale.The Davidson example sold for $1280 in 2006. $300–500 ❖ 334 POLICE GAZETTE; OR, HUE AND CRY. Published by Authority A group of six editions of the 4-page newspaper, 1831 - 1834, published in London. 24 & 28 Sept.1831 editions include a “List of Convicts who have absconded from their respective Employments in New South Wales, and who are supposed to have Escaped from that Colony. ” (including several who had “absconded from Norfolk Island”); 18 & 25 June 1834 editions include a “List of Convicts who have Absconded from Van Diemen’s Land” plus 2 other editions. (6 items). $200–300 ❖ 335 WHATELY, Richard Thoughts on Secondary Punishments, in a Letter to Earl Grey [B. Fellowes, London, 1832] 204pp, octavo, a little browning, very good in papered boards with material spine and paper label. First edition of an important critique of the transportation system by of the Archbishop of Dublin Richard Whately (1787-1863). $150–200 336 THE ALARMING HISTORY OF ABRAHAM CRABTREE - VAN DIEMEN’S LAND & NORFOLK ISLAND Crabtree arrived in Van Diemen’s Land in July 1832, one of the 221 convicts aboard "Katherine Stewart Forbes", following his trial at York, West Riding Quarter Sessions, where he had been sentenced to 14 years transportation. This very detailed document on 2 large sheets of vellum records Crabtree’s passage through the convict system from his arrival until 22 years later, when he was granted a Free Certificate by William Nairn, the Comptroller-General of Convicts. In two and a half densely written pages it is still possible to read most of Crabtree’s alarming history of additional crimes and misdemeanours and his further punishments. "Gross neglect of duty", "Extorting money", "refusing to work", "leaving his station contrary to orders", "fighting with his fellow servant", "insolence", "disorderly conduct in escaping from custody", "Improper conduct at Muster", "gambling in the P .B." [Prisoners’ Barracks], "misconduct in having tobacco", "conducting himself in a disrespectful manner", "Being in a Public House after hours", "absent from his Gang and in liquor", and many more such entries which are matched with an equal number of punishments: "14 days solitary", "30 days solitary confinement", "three months imprisonment and hard labour", "36 lashes and kept to hard labour for 6 months", "solitary confinement on B & W for 3 days", "14 days in chains", and the list goes on. A further felony trial at Launceston in July 1846 resulted in his removal to Norfolk Island where he was "to be handcuffed for 7 years" starting in January 1847 and where his troubles continued. On his return to Van Diemen’s Land in March 1850 the document records that "The Pass Holder is not to enter service in the Launceston District." $2,000–2,500 337 Awaiting Departure: "Expecting to go away every day…" 20 April 1833 mss letter from Robert Erskine at "Newgate Northside" [Prison] to his correspondent in Clerkenwell. Evidently well educated, Erskine is writing to ask for the return of his Savings Bank Book, his 30 shillings and "all the Clothes and Books of mine" as he is "expecting to go away every day....You say that you will keep the things for me ‘till I return to the shores of Hated England, But as I do not mean ever to come back to England I do not see the utility of such proceedings.....they will be very useful to me as I have got a Situation as Surgeon’s 2nd Mate by the kindness of Lord Melbourne whom I petitioned......I have been very unwell for this fortnight. For my part I think it is the Gaol distemper....for nearly everyone of the Prisoners has got something the matter with him." Erskine had been sentenced to 7 years transportation at the Middlesex Session of Peace in March 1833; he departed for Van Diemen’s Land in May 1833 aboard the Stakesby, along with 215 other male convicts, arriving in September 1833. NB: The folded letter bears postal markings including the rare oval "4.EVEN.4 / AP .22 / 1833" time marking in red. $500–750 ❖ 336 338 48