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OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



September commenced with a renewal of the alarm refpecting fe- 

 ci itious confpiracies. *»A report having been circulated, that the pri- 

 Ibners lately lent from Ireland, for the crime of having been concerned 

 in the late rebellion in that country, had formed a plan for poiTefling 

 themfelves of the colony, that their arms (pikes manufactured fince 

 their arrival) were in great forwardnefs, and their manner of attack 

 nearly arranged ; a committee of officers was appointed by the Go- 

 vernor to examine all fufpected perfons, and afcertain whether any 

 fuch murderous defign exifted. In the courfe of their inquiries, the 

 committee faw occafion to imprifon Harold, the Roman Catholic 

 prieft. This man confeffed that the reports were founded in truth, 

 and engaged to difcoVer where the weapons were concealed ; of which, 

 he faid, many hundreds had been fabricated. In his confeflion he 

 implicated feveral of his countrymen, who, on being queftioned in 

 their turn, accufed feveral others; and the committee adjudged them 

 all to be deferving of punifhment : but Harold was never able to fulfil 

 his engagement of producing the weapons ; and after much prevari- 

 cation and trifling, the committee were perfectly convinced that his 

 fole aim, in all he had faid, was that of making himfelf of confequence 

 in the colony, by having it believed that he, as their prieft, could 

 alone have influence to make the confpirators fpeak the truth. Harold 

 had before applied to the Governor for permiflion to officiate as 

 their prieft ; and if w T ell affected to the government, of which there 

 were but too many doubts, he might have been of much ufe to the 

 colony in that capacity. 



In confequence of thefe alarms, and as much as poflible to do away 

 their effects, by increafing the armed force of the colony, a number 

 of the moft refpectable inhabitants were formed into two volunteer 

 aflbciations of fifty men each, and ftyled the Sydney and Parramatta 

 Loyal AfTociated Corps. Each was commanded by a captain, with 

 two lieutenants ; and the whole were fupplied with arms and am- 

 munition. 



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