Editor's note: 'The following is the Poem alluded to in our last as written but yet unpublished in this Colony'.
Dedication: 'To Sir Frederick Pollock, Knight His Majesty's late Attorney-General, who commenced, and to Sir John Campbell, Knight, His Majesty's present Attorney -General, who it is confidently anticipated will accomplish, if we have note, as is devoutly hoped, already accomplished the liberation of Britons from internal Slavery; Immortalising themselves and the reign of His Most Gracious Majesty KING WILLIAM THE FOURTH, by achieving the Abolition of the hateful, unjust tyrannical and absurd system of IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT; THIS POEM, as an humble testimony of that admiration and gratitude due to their patriotism and philanthropy, and to their valuable services to 100,000,000 of fellow subjects, and to all posterity, is respectfully inscribed by their humble and obedient servant, THE AUTHOR. Sydney, New South Wales, Nov. 1835'.
Epigraph: 'Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco'.
Author's note: 'We need not tell our literary readers that it has been our endeavour in this poem, which we trust they will deem a moral, political, and philosophical essay, to prove the hatefulness, injustice, tyranny, and absurdity of the system ... the proposed abolition of Imprisonment for Debt ... is an act of justice for mankind ...' (Sydney Times. Nov. 11, 1836, p.2).