1 799-1 OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 513 



At length the commiftary was enabled to iflue fome flop clothing 

 to the convicts, a quantity having been received by the Walker ; but, 

 unfortunately, much of what had been put on board arrived in a very 

 damaged ft ate* 



The court of criminal judicature was afTembled on the 16th, when 

 a convict was found guilty of forgery, and received fentence of death-;, 

 but as this had been determined by the majority of one voice. only* 

 whereas the letters patent for eftablifhing the court exprefsly fay, that 

 five of the members ate to concur in a capital cafe, this bufmefs was, 

 as provided by the patent, to be referred to the King in council. It 

 is to be hoped that this circumftance will but feldom occur ; as the 

 object of it muft, during the reference, remain a prifoner, with all the 

 miferable fenfations that a perfon would experience under fentence of 

 death. The time that he muft linger in this unfortunate fituation could 

 not be well lefs than fifteen or eighteen months; and admitting that 

 the length of it might deaden the acutenefs of his ft rrt fenfations, and 

 diminilh his fears as to the event, yet how would the horror of his 

 fituation be aggravated, mould, unhappily for him, the fentence be : 

 at la ft confirmed by the royal approbation I; 



This month faw a fecond gaol deftroyed. by fire. It was the log- 

 gaol at Parramatta. The prifoners- confined in it were with difficulty-* 

 matched from the flames : but fo miferably fcorched, that one of them; 

 expired after having lingered a few days. No doubt remaining of. 

 this being the work of villany, a large reward was offered for the de- 

 tection of the unfeeling and depraved perpetrator of fo truly diabolical 

 an act, and which had been a fecond time committed in the fame 

 fettlement: a circumftance that even ftaggers credulity. What in- 

 t ere ft, what moti ve could impel them to fo wicked, and at the fame 

 time fo ufelefs a proceeding ?: The deftruction of the building, they 

 muft conclude, would be inftantly followed by the erection of 

 another, at which they themfelves muft labour! Could it be for 

 the purpofe of throwing obftacles in the way of Government ? that 



Government, 



