SEDITIOUS IRISH CONVICTS. Two *' del n Jed people" were by the same iiroclamation — they having been ** detected in seditious conversation tending to the detjtruction of government order and hinnaniU^"— ordered to receive 500 lashes each, in equal proportions, at Syclnej, Parramatta, and Toongabhe, and to he conlined in the gaol gang during the remainder of their term of transportation. In May 1802 there were further attempts. A court reported —
- ' that ii» no overt act lian been committed Kii IJoiiglierty cannot Buifer
death, l>ui we uonBidei' it necessary that the moat exemplary pimishmeiit ahoiihi bu iiiriit?ted on him. T'herc?fore, aj^rieeable to your proclamation beft] ing date *2nd April ISO'2, it ia expressed that whosoever iu this colony shall not <li.*^cover any unlawful combination or illeual act done or to be done shall receive ICKX) lashea. Wo cimjiider the crime of Edward Donghertj' coining within the said order, do therefore aeutence him to receiv^e lOOOldshe*, itntb in order to deter others froru similar offences, that he be further transported for five yearn Lin<l kept in heavy irons in the jaU gang-' Tln-ee davB after this sentence Margarot wrote — on mit tons leB hiandais aux fers— Lionloureax," One witneaa deposed that the Irish conspirators had arranged to place their En^diah allies *'in front, and in such a Bituation they would he compelled to fight or he put to death by those l>ebind them," King told Fovea iix at Norfolk Island that he was sorry to send hira some of the L'ish Avho had heen plotting. He would not have sent them hut that we are in daily expectation of BOO of the same description/' Meantime he gave conditional partlons to many of the Irish to enconrage them in tlnift and prndenee. He told the Secretary of State (May 1802) that as he heard *' more Irish convicts are coming here it may he necessary to re-emhody the Association, if they are troublesome, which unfortunately is attended with the expense of their pro- visions/' He had sent some of the Irish to Norfolk Island*
- I hope the others will find it their interest to be tjuiet , otherwise it
fi'dl be absolutely neces&ary for me to proi^eeti io a ver}^ suniinary manner ^to prevent m orsc conse^iuenceF, . . . Althongli it is not my dnty t-o preas on your (trat^t the description of people to be !*eiit here, yet I would buinbly propose that aa few as poinfiiiblt; of those convicted of seditiona atid tepnblican practices ahoukl be sent. Otherwiste, in a very short ttme» thi« rcolony will be coinpoBed of few other eharactcra, which must neeeasarily draw oil anarehy and eonfiision, as aothimg but the hand of anthority keeps thosG we now have withiii the bounck of order." < ■ I rity ^
