ton ▁and ▁to b acco ; ▁New ▁Zealand ▁tim ber ▁and ▁h emp ▁or ▁fla x ▁could ▁prove ▁valuable ▁comm od ities ; ▁it ▁could ▁form ▁a ▁base ▁for ▁Pacific ▁trade ; ▁and ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁a ▁suitable ▁compens ation ▁for ▁disp la ced ▁American ▁Lo yal ists . ▁At ▁the ▁suggestion ▁of ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁Lord ▁Sydney , ▁Mat ra ▁am ended ▁his ▁proposal ▁to ▁include ▁conv ict s ▁as ▁sett lers , ▁considering ▁that ▁this ▁would ▁benefit ▁both ▁" E conom y ▁to ▁the ▁Public k , ▁& ▁Human ity ▁to ▁the ▁Ind ividual ". ▁The ▁government ▁adopted ▁the ▁bas ics ▁of ▁Mat ra ' s ▁plan ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 4 , ▁and ▁fund ed ▁the ▁settlement ▁of ▁conv ict s . ▁ ▁Michael ▁Ro e ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁Australia ▁supports ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁Vincent ▁T . ▁Har low ▁in ▁The ▁Found ing ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁British ▁Empire , ▁ 1 7 G 3 - 1 7 9 3 , ▁Vol . ▁ 2 . ▁New ▁Cont in ents ▁and ▁Ch anging ▁Val ues ▁( 1 9 6 4 ) ▁ ▁that ▁a ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁British ▁emp ire ▁was ▁to ▁open ▁up ▁new ▁commerce ▁in ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁and ▁Pacific . ▁However , ▁London ▁emphas ized ▁Australia ' s ▁purpose ▁as ▁a ▁pen al ▁col ony , ▁and ▁the ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁was ▁host ile ▁to ▁potential ▁commercial ▁riv als . ▁Nevertheless , ▁says ▁Ro e , ▁the ▁found ers ▁of ▁Australia ▁showed