to th e fem ale c o n v i f t s ; v i z .— 7 p oun d s o f b i f e u i t ; 1 p ou n d o f f lo u r ;
7 p oun d s o f be e f, o r 4 p ou n d s o f p o r k ; 3 pints' o f peafe ; and 6
ounces o f butter.
I t w a s fa ir to fu p p o fe that fo lib e ral a ra tion w o u ld in it fe lf h a v e
p ro v e d th e fe c u r ity o f th e fto re , and h a v e d efend ed it from depredation
; b u t w e faw w i th co n c e rn , th a t the re w e r e am o n g us fom e m ind s
fo h a b itu a lly v ic io u s th a t no confid e ra tion Was o f a n y w e ig h t w i th
th em , n o r cou ld th e y b e induced to do r ig h t b y a n y p r o fp e d o f
fu tu r e b en e fit, o r fe a r o f - c e r t a in and immediate p u nifhm en t. T h e
ch a rg e b e in g fu l ly p ro v e d , on e man , James B a r re tt, fulfered death t
h is confederates w e r e p ard on ed , o n co n d ition o f th e ir b e in g ban iih ed
from th e fettlement. A n o th e r cu lp r it w a s fentenced to re c e iv e three
h u n d red la fh e s ; bu t, n o t ap p ear in g fo g u i l ty as h is com pan ion s, w a s
p a rd o n ed b y th e g o v e rn o r , the p ow e r o f p a rd o n in g b e in g v e ile d in
h im b y h is M a je f ty ’ s Commiflion.
H is e x c e lle n c y , h a v in g caufed on e ex am p le to be mad e , ex ten d ed
le n i t y to fom e others w h o w e r e tr ied th e fo llo w in g d a y ; and one co n -
v i£ t , James F re em an , w a s p ardoned o n con d ition o f h is b e com in g th e
p u b lic e x e cu tion e r .
I t appeared b y th e letters p a ten t u n d e r the grea t feal o f G r e a t B r ita in ,
w h ic h w e r e read a fte r th e g o v e rn o r ’ s com m iflio n , th a t “ th e ap p oin t-
“ m en t o f th e p lace to w h ic h offenders ih o u ld b e tran fp orted h a v in g
“ be en v e ile d in th e c r ow n b y an a f t o f p ar liam en t, h is M a je ity , b y
“ tw o fe v e ra l orders in co u n c il, b e a r in g date th e 6 th o f D e c em b e r
“ 1 7 8 6 , h ad d eclared , th a t ce rtain offenders named in tw o lifts an-
“ n e x e d to th e ord ers in co u n c il ih o u ld be tranfp orted to th e eaftern
“ e o a il o f N ew H o lla n d , named N e w S o u th W a le s , o r fom e on e or
“ o th e r o f the iflands a d j a c e n t a n d it ' b e in g deemed n e c e ifa ry th a t
a c o lo n y and c iv il g o v e rnm en t ih o u ld be eftabliihed in th e place to
w h ic h fuch fe lon s ih o u ld be tran fp or ted , and th a t a cou r t o f c r im in al ju -
r ifd id tion ih o u ld alfo be e ftabliihed th e re in , w i th au th o r ity to p ro c e ed
in a more fum m a ry w a y th an is ufed w i th in th e realms o f G r e a t
B r ita in , a c co rd in g to th e k n o w n and eftabliihed law s th e re o f, h is
M a je i ty , b y th e 2 7 th G e o . 3. cap. 5 6 . w a s enabled to auth or ife , b y his
com m iflio n u n d e r the g rea t fea l, “ th e g o v e rn o r , o r in h is abfence
« th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r o f fu ch p lac e , to co n v en e from time to
“ tim e ,
“ tim e , as o ccafion m a y requ ire , a 'c o u r t o f cr im in al ju r ifd i& io n ,
“ w h ic h cou r t is to be a cou r t o f record, and is to co n fift o f th e ju d g e -
« ad vo ca te and fu ch f ix officers o f the fea and lan d fe rv ice as th e g o -
“ v e rn o r fh a ll, b y p re cep t iflued und er h is hand and fea l, req u ire to
“ aflemble fo r th a t p u rp o fe .” T h is co u r t has p ow e r to in q u ire of,
h e a r , d e termine, and p u n iih all treafons, mifpr ifions o f treafons, m u r ders,
fe lon ie s , fo rg e r ie s , p e r ju r ie s , trefpaifes, an d o th e r cr im es w h a tfo -
e v e r that m a y be com m itted in th e c o lo n y ; th e p u n ifhm en t fo r fu ch
o ffen ce s to be in flifte d a c c o rd in g to th e law s o f E n g lan d as n e a r ly as
m a y b e , co n fid e r in g and a l low in g fo r th e c ircum flan ce s and fitu ation
o f th e fettlement and its inhabitants. T h e ch a rge a g ain ft a n y offender
is to be red uced in to w r it in g , and e x h ib ited b y th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te :
w itn e fle s are to be ex am in ed u p on o ath, as w e l l f o r as ag a in ft the
p r ifo n e r ; and th e cou r t is to ad ju d g e w h e th e r h e is g u il ty o r n o t
g u i l t y b y th e o p in io n o f th e m ajo r p art o f th e court. I f g u i l ty , and
th e offence is cap ita l, th e y are to p ro n o u n c e ju d gm e n t o f d eath, in
l ik e m an n e r as i f th e p r ifo n e r h ad be en c o n v i& e d b y th e v e rd id t o f
a ju r y in E n g lan d , o r o f fu ch co rp o ral p u n ifhm en t as th e co u r t, or
th e m a jo r p art o f it , fhall deem meet. A n d in cafes n o t cap ita l, th e y
are to ad jud ge fu ch co rp o ral p u n ifhm en t as th e m a jo r ity o f th e co u r t
fh all determine. B u t n o offender is to fuffer d eath , u n le fs f iv e m em bers
o f th e co u r t fh a ll co n cu r in a d ju d g in g h im to b e g u i l ty , u n til the
p ro c e ed in g s fh all h a v e been tranfmitted to E n g lan d , and th e k in g ’ s plea-
fu re fign ified th e reu p on . T h e p ro v o fl-m a r fh a l is to caufe th e ju d gm e n t
o f th e co u r t to be ex e cu ted a c co rd in g to th e g o v e rn o r ’s wa r ran t u n d e r
h is han d and feal.
T h e refemblance o f th is to th e m ilita ry courts m a y b e e a f ily traced
fonae particulars. T h e cr im in a l cou r t is affembled, n o t at Hated
time s , b u t w h e n e v e r o c c a fio n m a y require. I t is com p o fed o f m ilita
r y officers, (the ju d g e ad v o c a te e x c ep ted , w h p fe fituation is o f a
c iv i l nature,) w h o aflemble as fu ch in th e ir m ilita ry hab its , w i th th e
in fign ia o f d u ty , th e fafh and th e fw o rd . T h e i r ju d gm en ts are to be
determined b y th e m a jo r i t y ; and th e e x am in a tio n o f th e w itn e fle s is
carried on b y th e members o f th e pourt, as w e l l as b y th e ju d g e -
ad vo ca te . B u t ' in o th e r r e fp e fls it differs' from th e m ilita ry co u r ts .
T h e ju d g e ad vo ca te is the ju d g e o r p re fid en t o f the c o u r t ; he frames
c 2 and