MR. LATROBE AS SUPERINTENDENT 275 



order the Randolph on her arrival to proceed to Sydney, for which 

 the residents of that city loudly denounced him. Within a day or 

 two of his decision becoming known, the Governor received a petition 

 from some sixty pastoralists in the western district urging that 

 instead of sending the ship on to Sydney he should direct her to 

 Portland, where, they declared, the passengers would be cordially 

 welcomed and promptly engaged. Sir Charles declined for one 

 moment to entertain the proposal, but the cross- firing to which he 

 was exposed in the action of town and country made his position 

 by no means easy, and explains his apparent wavering in his corre- 

 spondence with the Secretary for the Colonies. 



Five months later, on the 8th of August, 1849, the Randolph 

 dropped anchor in Hobson's Bay. Instructions had been sent to 

 the Pilot Station at Queenscliffe, that the vessel was not to come 

 up to the Port, but to proceed direct to Sydney. The captain 

 peremptorily declined to comply. He said he was chartered for 

 Port Phillip and in Hobson's Bay he meant to anchor, which would 

 complete his obligations under the contract. Whatever else might 

 be required of him must be under fresh negotiations, and up he 

 came. The next morning the Argus put forth a heading in aggres- 

 sive type : " Colonists of Port Phillip ! The hour has come and 

 the men ! " It declared that it did not doubt the pledged faith 

 of the Government, and had every confidence in the noble conduct 

 of the Superintendent, " but the convicts are in the bay, and it 

 behoves us to see that they obtain no footing here ". 



Although the daily papers took up this attitude, the public did 

 not evince any excitement, for no attempt at a landing was made, 

 and after two days' conference with the Government the captain 

 agreed for an additional 500 to do what was wanted. On the 

 llth of August he was again at the Heads on his way to Sydney. 



The Superintendent was officially thanked by the Corporation 

 for his firmness, although but a few months previously they had 

 formally petitioned the Crown for his recall. On the 20th of 

 August a large meeting was held in the Queen's Theatre, the 

 Mayor presiding, to protest against the right claimed by the British 

 Cabinet to send convicts to the Colonies, contrary to the declared 

 wishes of the inhabitants. The speeches generally were vigorous 



18* 



