Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/520

 492 H. a BEN5 r, MP., BEN9UNGES MAC^QUARIE. of Commons on Prisons in 1B19, and publidy denounced by H. G. Bennett, M.P., in his letter to Lord Batliurst in 1820. Macfjiiarie {replying to Mr. liennett*s letter to Lord Sid- mouth in 1810, and) generaUy justifying himself in a letter written in Sydney in 1820, and pubhshed in London in 1821 — admitted that one of tlje men, William Biake, had never been a convict, and that two others, Henshall and Eeid, had become free; but he denounced them as ** far from respectable,** and thought them '* very fit subjects to be made an example of." He did not order the punishment '* hastily," or in *' passion or anger,'* but ortlerod these profligate men, though iit the time free, to be corpornny puiiidieil, I ciiii only say that I did at the time coiinider, and now atill remain of the atimo opLiiioii, that I was legally aiithorizedp in my capacity as Govenior-in-Chief and first inagistrate of thia territory, on such positivi and ulear |Jioof of their guilt {Macfjiuirie had spoken to the apprehendinj oonst-ahle.s), to direct tiiem to be punished in tliia Humniary manner, with- out any regular trial or oxaminrttion htfore a Court. . » . Even gi'an' lug that it was actjordiug to the strict letter of the law Uijaily icronrf, wiiieli I ilo not by any means alhiw, still I maintain that ordering sui " punishment was moralhj riijht. ; and ou this groiuid I am neither iishamei nor aorry for the act." (Bat for) '* Mr. Justice Bent and a few uthi factions discontented men of lower rank.-^ in the colony^ all of whom joiner in making a aul>.?cription to defray the expenses, and the pious adviee q the Rev. Mr. Marauen and other et^ually amiable eounsellors, these pool men never wonhl have thought of cjuittijig this country to seek redress in England. "^'' He declared that tlie punishment infticted (19th April 1816) "was so shghtly hiid on that it was liardly felt by those who received it.'* Macquarie's defence, after four years' reflection, proves that if he had ever vakied the liberties of bis country his perceptions had been corroded by the unhappy conrse of his governnient. That a Governor could Hoppose in haste, or argne at leisiii*e, that letter to L>rd Sidnioutli. Que of the eolonist^t who hafl sigtied the petition to England applied to the local governtuent on a nnitter of hn^inesa. Bjf, Maequarie*8 command he was told (No% 1816): *^Yonr conduct in havini I Rignod a petition lataly sent from thia country by a few <LieHnicahl factions, and malikjnant individuals, and well known to contain the m falsoi lihellous, and seditious matttir, is an instance of such unprincipled depravity, that Him Ex€t-dlent:y can never tkiiik yon desei'ving of any .Jiiduigenee whatever from this ^ovcrmattvt." I A
 * cooUy iiiid deliberatLsly. . . . la vindication of myself for having
 * without any regular trial or examination*' he was entitled
 * Maciiuarie'a langua^ro in the eolony waa leas nitjiiusured than in hia