Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/431

 had been "many days ago informed that he (Macarthur) declined any farther interference with the schooner, in con- sequence of the illegal conduct of the naval officer in refusinf? to enter the vessel and detaining her papers;'* he begged leave to refer him to that oHicer *'for any further information;" he has had two pohce officers '"on board in charge, and it is reasonable to suppose they are directed to II prevent irregularities.*' H Immediately Atkins issued a warrant for Macartliur's "apprehension on the charge of having 'Villegally stopped the provisions of the master, mates* and crew of the schooner Parramatta, whereby the said master, mates, and crew had violated the colonial regulations by coming onauthorized on shore/' In the warrant Atkins referred to his former communication as an '' official letter/' Oakes, the Chief Constable at Parramatta, appeared at Macarthur *h house ■with the warrant at eleven o'clock at night. Macarthm' declared that if the issuer of the warrant had served it he would have spurned him from his presence, and to satisfy the constable, gave him a written statement in the following terms ; — I'* Parramatta, 15 th December, 1807. "You wUl inform the persous who sent you here with the warrafit you have uow ah own me iiinl ^iven me a copy of, that 1 never win aubmit ti* the horritl tyrtinny that is attempted until T am forced ; that I consider it with scorn and contenipt, as I do the persona who have directed it to be executed. Oakes returned to the Judge-Advocate and deposed to what had oecmu'ed. A fresh warrant was issued, and a body of armed police apprehended Macai*tliur (IGth Dec.) H at the house of Surveyor-General Grimes in Sydney. Taken ™ to the houHB of x^tlcins on the same day, he was bailed. On the 17th, before a bench of magistrates presided over by the Ju4lge- Advocate, Macarthur was committed to be tried for ''high misderaeanours." Major Johnston was on the bench. It was while Macarthur was thus mider committal that Bligh sent the convict overseer to pull down any fence erected by Macarthur upon his leasehold ; and the felon minister, relymg upon felon advice behind i^ k^^s^^y
 * MR. OAltES,
 * J. Macartuur."