LAND, LABOUR AND COMMERCE. 131 



for settlers were selected from the remainder. Applications 

 were made for them to the principal superintendent, who sent 

 whomsoever he thought fit. Occasionally the Governor gave him 

 directions to supply some well-known settler with men of a 

 particular stamp. 1 But the settlers generally were not per- 

 mitted to apply to the Governor, and applications for men of 

 particular trades were forbidden. 2 Those prisoners who were 

 still left were sent to country districts in numbers proportionate 

 to the requisitions made by the resident magistrates. Large 

 proprietors applied to the superintendent, but smaller folk applied 

 through the magistrates who distributed the convicts on their ar- 

 rival from Sydney. A few even of the large landowners preferred 

 to get their servants in this way, not caring to have anything to 

 do with the superintendent, who had himself been a convict. 

 They disliked Macquarie's system, which took the place of draw- 

 ing lots and then choosing from the whole number of convicts 

 in the order thus ascertained. The magistrates often conducted 

 the distribution in this way, and Marsden introduced a refinement 

 upon it which was very illustrative of colonial feeling. The lots 

 were drawn in two divisions, and those of the first division 

 chose their men before the second draw took place. The first 

 division consisted of free men and the second of emancipists. 



Such was the manner of distributing the prisoners on the 

 arrival of a transport. But throughout the year constant appli- 

 cations for servants were made both to the superintendent and 

 the magistrates. These were satisfied by assignments from the 

 Government gangs in Sydney by the superintendent and in the 

 other districts by the magistrates. But in 1820 the latter were 

 ordered to refer all applications to Sydney on the ground that 

 the superintendent would best know what men could be spared 

 from Government service. 3 



1 e.g., Some for Sir John Jamison ; a gardener for Hannibal Macarthur ; a 

 blacksmith for Cox. Appendix, Bigge's Reports. R.O., MS. 



2 G.G.O., loth January, 1817. Humbler persons found it very hard to get 

 mechanics. A tanner, who had great difficulty in getting a workman fit for his 

 trade, said, " I did apply and was told none had arrived ; but I know that one was 

 sent to Mr. Cox, another to an overseer as an assigned man on the store : this 

 man I employed by paying the overseer 55. per week ! " Evidence, Appendix to 

 Bigge's Reports. R.O., MS. 



3 From 1814 to 1820, 2,418 mechanics arrived and of these 1,587 were assigned 

 to Government. Macquarie to Hannibal Macarthur, 2oth November, 1820. For 

 the whole of this subject see Evidence and Documents in Appendix to Bigge's 

 Reports. R.O., MS. 



