Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/275

 landing of spirits. He shared the obloquy attached to doing his duty Btrictly. The court-martial was to decide whether Dr, Harris or Adjutant Minchin had acted with candour or totd the truth*^^ HarriB was lionoirrahly acqiiitted, without heing called upon to defend himself. King approved the sentence. Minchin was acquitted also, and King suhinitted the verdict for His Majesty's consideration. Settlers petitioned that Harris might be reinstated as a magistrate, and his recent prosecutor. Col. Paterson, supported them. Both the verdicts were confirmed in Enghmd, Ensign Bajley fomented disaffection at the time of the duel hetween Paterson and Macarthur. In Jan* 1802 he was tried by court-martial '* for disobeying an order of his Colonel to attend a meeting of civil and military officers at the Governor's;" and in Feb. 1802 ** for disobedience of a General Order of 2Gth Dec. IBOO, by repeatedly beating and horsewliipphig his convict servant/* For the first offence he was adjudged to he reprimanded by the Governor; for the second, to be suspended from rank and pay for ' three months,^-^ When Captain Kemp was compelled to apologize to the French officers, Paterson took a step which was meant to embarrass the Governor. It was known that the Irish prisoners wxn-e ever on the alert to riot or rebels and it was thought that the Governor, in fear of losing some assistance afforded by the officers, would yield to their demands rather than lose their services. The Governor, by ordering away spirits brought by a ship in July 1802, had given offence. The unruly at the barracks revelled in satire upon him. Seditious papers were ckculated. Ensign Bayley was particularly active in then* dissemination. The soreness was increased by a large rew^ard (ii'SOO) or a free pardon offered (1st Oct.) upon conaction of alleged smugglers from the ship wdiich had brought the spu'its. ^The first sentence was deenitsrl ''lenientj" bat coiifirniBd bj His ^lajeety ; the second was c<)n8idered no more than atlet^uate, but ia con- aiderationof the long period of susipenBe and uncertainty, and *' perceiving that Ensign Hayley ia now fuUy sensible of bis niiaconcluct," Hia Majesty reuutted the sentence.
 * Despiitch, 9th Nqw 180*2— KUig to Lord Holmrt.