But the most important consideration of all is, that it has never been practicable for His Majesty's
regulations; the regulations are perhaps as good as possible, but the government have not the means of enforcing them properly.
"1338. Are there not places of worship within four or five miles? In many districts there are, but not every place; the people are scattered over an extent of many hundred miles. Where there are children at all, there is generally a number of people residing within a few miles of each other: it is only at the out-stations of the settlers, where none but working people are sent, that they have not the means of attending schools and divine service."
Now I refer it to any person at all acquainted with the state of New South Wales, in regard to the means of education and religious instruction, previous to the year 1831, whether there could possibly have been a more incorrect and unfounded representation of the actual condition of that colony in these important respects, or one more directly calculated to mislead His Majesty's government, than this precious evidence presents. No doubt, Mr. Busby was not upon oath to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! No doubt, it was natural for him, as an Episcopalianized Scotch Presbyterian hunting for office, to compliment the late and present archdeacons" for their alleged exertions! But Mr. B. could not be ignorant, that at the very moment he was giving his evidence, the colony of New South Wales was a perfect wilderness in regard to the means of education and religious instruction, through the inexcusable neglect of the Tory government, on the one hand, to which it had been uniformly subjected up to that period; and of the colonial episcopacy on the other, to which that government
