NEW SOUTH WALES. 397 



The secresy with which this business was con- 

 ducted prevented the magistrates from making 

 any discovery, and of course they succeeded in 

 no degree on an examination of Harold, the 

 before- mentioned Catholic priest, as being a 

 party in seditious conversations; for nothing 

 appeared to criminate him, though the fact was 

 universally credited. The Governor judged it 

 necessary, in consequence of these conjectures,, 

 to extract the heads of several acts against 

 seditious correspondence or unlawful assemblies 

 of the people, and altering them so as to suit the 

 settlement, published them as a proclamation, 

 that none might plead ignorance of the existence 

 of such laAVs. This beside being made public in the 

 usual manner, was read on Sunday the 24th, in 

 clinch, after the performance of divine service. 



The Friendship having sailed early in the 

 month for Bengal, that opportunity was taken 

 of sending dispatches to England, and to the 

 Governor of India; who, by the Hunter, had 

 sent a letter to the Governor, inclosing a list 

 of persons from New South Wales who were 

 then resident in Calcutta, and u desiring to be 

 informed whether any of them had left the terri- 

 tory without having previously obtained permis- 

 sion for that purpose, or served the regular term 

 ' of their transportation ; in which latter case it was 

 the intention of that government to return them 

 to the colony by the first opportunity." On 

 comparing the list with the books, there were 

 found none of this description, and all were 

 accounted for, except two or three whose names 



