28 June 1802 42 N. S. Wales 7

Whether the Ministers, whose system from beginning to end was

directed by a spirit principle of equal

contempt for the laws of the land and those of natural justice —

whether these Ministers at any period subsequent to the commencement of it

have thought fit so far to preserve the forms of respect for the

forms authority

of law the legislation as to employ a sham contract with

[+] with a servant of the Crown the Governor

of the Colony to bring themselves within the letter of the law

— of the Act of 1787 I do not pretend to know. All I can say about

the matter is comprised in this dilemma.

In point of fact what is print and is notorious to

every body is — that somehow or other Convicts on

arrival at South Wales find themselves transferred and made over to

the Governor. This transfer is made either with the intervention of a

Contract — a contract between the transporter who

transferrs the Convict, and the Governor who accepts him

— or it is made without such Contract. In the first case, the letter

alone of the law is complied with by a sham Contract different in the most

essential particulars from the real old-established Contract

which the Nature (or at least the Natures which it professes to copy) had

in view: the spirit of the law being violated: in the other case the

whole proceeding is illegal and void, being without foundation either in

the spirit or so much as the letter of the law in which it

pretends to ground itself.

Contract, or no-Contract. If a Contract, it is a sham Contract, contrary to

the spirit of the law which authorizes it: it no Contract, the

system is illegal throughout, having no law to

authorize it
Similar Items
  • Title: [12 June 1802 37 N. S. Wales 2 is taken]
    Description: 12 June 1802 37 N. S. Wales 2

    is taken of him by the Governor. By what means does this happen? Conjecture,

    grounded on the apparent nature of the case, is all

    the ground authority I can pretend to for the answer which

    I hear I give. The Merchant, by the terms

    of the Act, and therefore I conclude, by the terms of the Contract grounded

    on it, having power to assign the Convict assigns him

    accordingly to the Governor: to the Governor in his quality of

    agent to the crown and trustee for the public in that

    behalf. But suppose the Contracting Merchant instead of

    assigning over the Convict to the Governor who gives him nothing but a

    receipt (payment under the Contract coming from the Treasury here at

    home) suppose he tries to assign assigns the Convict

    to some friend of the Convict's own, who as such

    will give a price for him: to the end that, when arrived at this place

    of banishment, he may be free. Is there any thing to prevent any such

    bargain? At any rate there is nothing in the Act: [so that should there be

    any thing

    to that effect in a Contract of that sort entered into today, there

    may be nothing to that effect in another Contract entered into tomorrow.

    By the Act — by law — a Convict [+] can

    [+] except in a particular case that will be

    mentioned presently

    not be transported otherwise than by the intervention of a Contract

    for that purpose: nor without such a Contract as puts the fate of the

    Convict in respect of as to the question difference

    between freedom and bondage altogether in the

    power of the Contractor who thereby, if for

    money or favour he thinks fit to remit to the

    Convict so much of the punishment as turns upon that difference,

    has it compleatly

    in his power.

    The carried out on Government account Then there must have

    been some fiction, if the letter of the Act has been

    observed.
  • Title: [23 July 1802 N. S. Wales 2 by reason]
    Description: 23 July 1802 N. S. Wales 2

    by reason of such

    ordinances, whether by obedience paid to them or for want of

    such obedience, the Governor and all persons acting under him in this

    behalf, are responsible

    in their persons and their fortunes: — and if any life

    has been lost in the attempt to enforce any such illegal ordinances, the

    imputed guilt and punishment of murder hangs over all

    persons by whom or under whose direction the attempt was made.
  • Title: [13 July 1802 3 N. S. Wales]
    Description: 13 July 1802 3

    N. S. Wales

    2

    3W Samples Drunkenness 3above. This design

    the Judge Advocate calls a strange one.

    strange that the Governor

    it could be suspected by any person of not being ready to

    legislate without power.

    By way of aggravation [the practice is spoken of as being "in direct

    disobedience of his Majesty's commands."] Not that it was known to be so, some

    of it had been, how many

    soever might have been disposed to evict stills licence,

    a man would hardly have thought of applying with

    entertained any such

    "formed the strange design of making application "to the

    Governor for his licence." I hope in this case nobody was

    punished no punishment was enhance

    rendered the more severe in consideration of such

    unconscious disobedience: indeed it is not stated that any was inflicted.

    Meantime the

    words his Majesty's commands may serve him as a clue.

    By this specific statement it appears that this was of

    the number of the instances in which the name of his Majesty was

    perfumed for the purpose of giving an apparent

    sanction to those despotic and illegal ordinances which were

    found better adapted to the purpose of Ministers than the legal ones

    authority for which might or might not have been

    obtainable from Parliament.