Background
He was born in Greenock, Scotland, United Kingdom on August 25, 1799.
(Excerpt from Freedom and Independence for the Golden Land...)
Excerpt from Freedom and Independence for the Golden Lands of Australia: The Right of the Colonies, and the Interest of Britain and of the World Great Britain has hitherto been all wrong in her principles and practice in the matter of colonization, and that, in common with the colonies themselves, she has been reaping the bitter fruits of this fatal mistake for two centuries and a half. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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(Excerpt from Transportation and Colonization; Or the Caus...)
Excerpt from Transportation and Colonization; Or the Causes of the Comparative Failure of the Transportation System in the Australian Colonies: With Suggestions for Ensuring Its Future Efficiency in Subserviency to Extensive Colonization The following work was written at sea, in the course of the Author's last voyage from New South Wales to London, towards the close of the year l836. Its main object is to point out to His Majesty's government, to members of parlia ment, and to the British public generally, the absolute necessity of some immediate and exten sive change in the regulation and management of the transportation system in the Australian colo nies, as also the means of effecting such a change without entailing any additional expense on the mother country, through the judicious application of the land -revenues of these colonies to the pu1 pose for which they were originally destined. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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He was born in Greenock, Scotland, United Kingdom on August 25, 1799.
He received his higher education at the University of Glasgow.
Arriving in Australia in 1823, he became active in providing a counterpoise for the Church of England there. Lang became an opponent of the influence of the "emancipists" (immigrant ex-convicts) in Australia, and actively promoted the introduction of free settlers. He insisted that these settlers adapt themselves to the Australian habitat and produce an indigenous culture. He opposed transportation of felons to Australia
He was active in journalism, founding first the Colonist (1835 - 1840), later the Colonial Journal, and in 1851-1852 the Press. From 1843 to 1846 and from 1850 to 1852 he was a member of the legislative council of New South Wales, and after the adoption of responsible government he was thrice chosen as a member of the legislative council. He took an active stand for numerous reform proposals, including postal reform, triennial parliaments, and abolition of primogeniture and of state aid to religion. In 1852 he published Freedom and Independence for the Golden Lands of Australia, advocating the formation of a republican United States of Australia.
(Excerpt from Freedom and Independence for the Golden Land...)
(Excerpt from Transportation and Colonization; Or the Caus...)
His mother a pious Presbyterian, who dedicated her son to the Church of Scotland ministry from an early age.
He related quite positively to other denominations of evangelical Protestants, particularly Congregationalists, Lutherans and Methodists. He admitted Congregationalists and Baptists to the Synod which he operated 1850–64.
His political ideas won him wide support among the Irish Catholic population, who shared his dislike of English and Anglican dominance. In return, he supported Home Rule for Ireland – partly because he thought this would reduce the Irish Catholic influence in British government.
Lang was also an enthusiastic promoter of the development of the Australian colonies.
He married his 18-year-old cousin, Wilhelmina Mackie, in Cape Town. They were married for 47 years and had ten children, only three of whom survived him. There were no grandchildren.
