Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/523

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the officers, and whom he wished to mislead Earl Bathurst to appoint as principal surgeon; the other whom he wished in like manner to foist upon the Survey Department; the owner of thousands of acres obtained by questionable arts from intoxicated settlers; another doubly convicted offender who for robbing the King's stores had been transported to Norfolk Island, but by thrift had become rich, and had been made by Macquarie principal superintendent of con- victs (1814); these and others, styling themselves" eman- cipated colonists," petitioned for leave to hold a meeting to discuss their grievances and fears. Commissioner Bigge was in the colony, and the Governor consulted him as to the propriety of allowing the meeting to be held. Bigge advised that the resolutions to be proposed should be submitted in anticipation to the Governor, and that the emancipist who had prosecuted Judge Field should pledge himself not to allude to his quarrel with the Judge. Macquarie obtained the pledge; and, with Bigge, revised the resolutions. Judge Field and Judge-Advocate Wylde, on the point of sailing to Van Diemen's Land to hold a Circuit Court, wrote to Macquarie. They pointed out that if the Governor had consulted them they could have demonstrated that none of the civil privileges of the persons styling themselves "emancipated colonists" had been affected by any rules they had laid down, and that as they were about to leave the colony for some time they took leave to inform the Governor of their objections to the meeting, not with a view to oppose what his Excellency might approve, but to absolve themselves from responsibility for consequences arising from the convening of such a meeting while the Courts were closed. The letter was forwarded to Bigge (for his information) by the Judges themselves. Neither Macquarie nor Bigge apprehended mischievous consequences from the meeting. The former said the emancipated convicts were labouring under a serious grievance. Judge Field replied. All the correspondence was sent to the Secretary of State. The meeting, convened by the Provost-Marshal, was held (23rd Jan. 1821). The convict friend of Macquarie, whom he had risked so much to compel the officers of the 48th Regiment to receive at their table, was in the chair. The convict