Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/305

 The gi*im aspect of the time was brought home to men*8 minds by the conclusiou of the Order. The New South Wales Corps was to attend imder arms, ** at the execution of the felons imder sentence of death/' at ten o'clock on the 10th March. General relief must have been felt when, on the 10th, martial law was revoked, and civil law was restored. Loyal addresses at once flowed in npon the Governor. Offers to take up arms had been promptly made by twenty-eight persons, most of whom '* could take a confidential servant with them/'^^ The rebellion was crushed by the first success of the ^1 troops* In various places runaways surrendered or were Bcaptured. Information was invited publicly in the Gazette Hto corroborate the dying coiifessiojis of two of the criminals ■ executed. The tln-eads of the conspkacy were followed up. Ill consequence of precise statements implicating him, the papers of Joseph Holt, who was the terror of tlie coimty of Wicklow m 1798, were seized on the 18th March, It is unnecessary to dwell at length on these proceedings.^ The magistrates were of opinion that there was not suffi- cient evidence to convict Holt before a Criminal Court, but that his general conduct, with its influence on the Irish, as shown by the dying confessions of persons executed, made n, it advisable to remove him to a distance. He was sent to ■hUorfolk Island, and thence to Hobart Town, but was "allowed to rejoin his family within two years. He eventually became a successful farmer. In 1812 he sold ^ The foUowLng petition was sent to the (lovtiriior from **the ironed prisoners in the gaol giing at Parraniatta. " ** Your pclitionere, enibold- tened by your nnprecodented clemency tincl eminently diatinguiahed phi !a.n trophy, which we, the deluded people diatiiigitished* by the name of Croppies, have liappily distinguished at a time that our contluct was such aa to render our lives forfeited both to law and justice, wherefore we thank Heaven that yonr Excellency'8 clemency prependorated onr evil infaticated offences of wld ch we seriously repent, , . humanely vouchsafe to extricate yonr petitioners out of irnna wether we who may tbe deemed objecta of your huma^ity^^ compliance to out' humble grayer, do solemnly promise before Qotl and unto your Excellency that 'our'fntiirc conduct shall be upright with loyalty and propriety," which (Lo)idon, 1874) in in the liritisb Museum. A letter from Holt's wife to Governor King, therein contained, in well worth perusal. fcjhe prayed in moving terms for his release, and King thus indorsed her appli- cation :— '* Mrs, Holt, respecting her husband. A requeat that public safety prevents being granted/'
 * They are told at lengtii in"** Curiosities of Colonisation," a copy of