This subject could not be complete without reference to the Mounted Police — the force specially charged with the suppression of convict outrages, which operated efficiently in the days of which I have been writing. The force was drawn chiefly from the infantry regiments serving in Sydney, and was first established in 1825, when Governor Brisbane held the reins. At the time of its establishment it consisted of 2 officers and 13 troopers only, and these were chiefly occupied in the district near Sydney. In 1839 they had swelled to 9 officers, 1 sergeant-major, 156 non-commissioned officers and men, with 136 horses, 20 of the troopers being footmen.
The officers were magistrates, and the body was subject to military law and discipline, although appointed to serve as police. They were armed with sabre, carbine, and horse pistols, and were dressed in light dragoon uniform. The headquarters division consisting of the commandant, the adjutant, and about 25 men, was stationed in Sydney, and the officers of divisions at important inland posts, with small parties on all the main roads. On the whole the troopers carried out their work intelligently and efficiently. Occasional complaints were made that they treated roughly settlers who chanced to fall under their displeasure; but we may excuse men who were hampered in the pursuit of their difficult calling by the very persons to whom they would naturally look for assistance, and not wonder if they sometimes "made it warm" for anyone who seemed to be in sympathy with the convicts they were looking for. At times they were subjected to great privations, and were exposed to great danger; but they generally succeeded in running down the outlaws and bringing them to justice. Theirs was a hard, unthankful task, performed cheerfully and well.
So frequent had been the escapes and so numerous the raids by bushrangers in the central and country districts at this time, that special efforts had to be made to cope with the evil, and the Governor ordered a general distribution of the troops in the disturbed districts. Hence the following Government Order was issued from the Colonial Secretary's Office on March 21st, 1826: –
The Governor has been pleased to direct that the following copy of a general order, which has been issued to the Troops, shall be published for the information of the Public at large.
His Excellency requests that the Magistrates and Gentlemen of the country will use their endeavours to promote its Circulation. It is no less desirable that the Settlers should be informed of the Means that are adopted for their Protection than that the Disturbers of the Public Tranquillity should be apprized that they will be pursued with unremitted Perseverance.
COPY OF GENERAL ORDER, NO. 29, DATED 21st MARCH, 1826.
1st. The Lieutenant-General has been pleased to order the following Distribution of the Troops, with a view to aid the Civil Power, and the more effectual putting down the Bushrangers, who, notwithstanding the recent Examples, have, it appears, recommenced their depredations.
2nd. The Range of Country within the Mountains will form the Parramatta District; that beyond, on the line of Communication to Wellington Valley, will be designated the Bathurst District.
3rd. A Field Officer will be stationed at Parramatta and another at Bathurst, those places being established as the Head Quarters of the respective Districts. In the first instance the Detachments under the former will be stationed at Windsor, Emu Plains, Liverpool and Campbelltown; those under the latter will be posted at Wellington Valley and Molong Plains, to the north of Bathurst; and from thence to the Southward and Eastward, at Cox's River, Weatherboard Hut, and Springwood; such other Parties are to be detached by the Commandants as circumstances may render necessary.
4th. The Officers employed will immediately put themselves in Communication with the Magistrate in the neighbourhood of their Posts, with whom the Lieutenant-General desires they will be pleased to co-operate to the utmost of their Power. And He further recommends that they should attach some of the most intelligent of the Natives to their Parties, as these People may be made extremely useful, if properly employed, in tracing the Bushrangers and discovering their Haunts. It will be left to the Discretion of the Officers to Reward the Natives according to their exertions; for which purposes some slop Clothing will be put at their Disposal, and they will be at Liberty from Time to Time to furnish them with such provisions as they may require when employed.
5th. The Commandants will visit their detached Stations occasionally; the Officers in Charge will be held responsible for the proper Conduct of the Men under their Orders; and the Soldiers will recollect that the Service they are now called on to perform is an important one. The Tranquillity and Prosperity of the Colony will be promoted by their Attention to their Duty. Their Employment will give Confidence to the settlers even in the Remote Districts; and the Lieutenant-General trusts that their Regularity and Good Order will confirm this feeling. Should they disregard this Warning, and Misbehave, the Commandants will be furnished with Means, and they are hereby Ordered to punish Offenders on the Spot.
6th. The Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers in charge of the Detached Stations will report Weekly, or oftener, as may be necessary, to the Commandant, who will report, in like manner to the Major of Brigade, for the information of the Lieutenant-General.
7th. The Commandants will make a point of seeing the General Order, No. 5 (herewith annexed) read to the detachments as directed.
A reward of £10 sterling will be given for the Apprehension of any Person who shall be convicted of Robbery, or have been guilty of any Violence; and £20 sterling for all such Persons as shall have been convicted as Receivers of Stolen Property.
(Signed) H. GILLMAN, Major of Brigade.
By His Excellency's Command, ALEXANDER M'LEAY.
COPY OF GENERAL ORDER, NO. 5, DATED JANUARY 2, 1826.
1st. The Lieutenant-General calls the Attention of Officers in Command of the Penal Settlements and other Detached Stations, to the Consequences which must result to the Service, from any intimacy being permitted between the Soldiers and the Prisoners of the Crown; and they will be pleased to take the necessary steps for putting an immediate stop to it.
2nd. It is hoped that the Soldiers themselves are alive to the Distinction which exists, and which it is of Importance should be preserved between them and the Convicts. They must not indulge in any Familiarity with them. Such intercourse would be inconsistent with the proper discharge of their Duty, and highly injurious to the Public Service.
3rd. The Soldiers are not, however, to suppose that the ill-treatment of a convict would be passed over with impunity. The Lieutenant-General assures them, that any such Act would be promptly and severely punished. It would be as unbecoming the character of a British Soldier, as an indiscriminate association with Men under the Sentence of the Law would be derogatory to it.
4th. The aforegoing is to be considered a Standing Order, and to be read monthly to the Corps and Detachments, with the Articles of War.
5th. The Officers in Command of Penal Settlements and Detached Stations will consider it their especial duty to see it strictly enforced.
(Signed) HENRY GILLMAN, Major of Brigade.
PROMPT MEASURES.
Immediately after this a remarkably significant Government Order was issued. It read thus:–
GOVERNMENT ORDER,
Colonial Secretary's Office, March 6th, 1826.
His Excellency the Governor, feeling that the Tranquillity of the Colony, and the Safety and Preservation of the Lives and Property of the Inhabitants, imperiously demand that Measures should be promptly adopted for preventing a repetition of the daring Outrages which have recently been committed, has directed that, in Addition to the Execution of William Corbett, who suffered this Day, the awful Sentence of the Law shall be carried into Effect Tomorrow Morning, at Nine o'clock, on the Following prisoners who were condemned on Monday, the 27th Ult., viz.:–
CHARLES PATENT,
PETER ROBERTS,
DAVID McCALLUM,
WILLIAM MORRISON.
The Governor has further directed that the Persons hereinafter named — viz., Darby Haggerty, Ralf Howe, James Bayley, James Laragy, William Turner, Richard Johnson, Christopher Henderson, William Higham, Jacob Parter — who have been convicted as Receivers of the Property Stolen by the Banditti abovementioned, and who have been sentenced to be transported, shall, after witnessing the Execution of their Accomplices, be immediately removed to the Phoenix Hulk, under a Military Escort, and be forwarded from thence, by the first Opportunity, to Norfolk Island, there to be confined during the period of the Sentences.
His Excellency has also directed that the Men at the Convict Barracks, and those who are allowed to sleep out, shall be assembled and attend the Execution.
The Troops in Garrison will Parade for the Purpose of Preserving Order.
The Governor is willing to hope that the Example, which a due regard to the Peace and Tranquillity of the colony under his charge has obliged him to make on this occasion, will put an immediate stop to the lawless Proceedings which have lately kept the Inhabitants of the Country District in a state of Anxiety and Alarm.
The inducements to Plunder, which lead to Murder and other Atrocities, would be much diminished were the Receivers of Stolen Goods prevented from pursuing their nefarious Traffics. These People are the Root and Foundation of the Evils which have been experienced, and the General Safety and Tranquillity of the Colony require that all classes should heartily unite in exterminating them. The Public Welfare demands the Exertion of every Honest Man for the Attainment of this Object; and the Governor pledges himself! to Reward liberally, and in a Manner which may be most agreeable to the Individual, as far as may be consistent and practicable, any person who shall be instrumental in bringing a "Receiver" to Punishment.
His Excellency, in expressing his unaltered Determination to punish, with the utmost severity of the Law, any person who shall be convicted as a "Receiver of Stolen Goods", takes this opportunity of warning those who are so employed, that such of them as shall be convicted will, without exception, be sent to Norfolk Island, which Settlement has been allotted for their confinement, and for that of the malefactors who have forfeited their Lives. And, in order to render the example now made as effectual and impressive as possible, the Governor declares, in the most solemn manner, that he will on no account mitigate or remit the sentence passed upon any Receiver of Stolen Goods.
By His Excellency's Command, ALEXANDER M'LEAY.
It will be seen that the authorities were very determined to put down the class known as "receivers", whose existence furnished an inducement to robbery. Years before this strenuous efforts had been made to suppress them, but without success; and they carried on their nefarious calling right under the noses of the authorities. Judge Therry in his "Reminiscences" has something to say on this point. In the earlier days the principal thoroughfare in Sydney—George-street—was remarkable for the number of its jewellers' shops, and the learned judge hit upon the most reasonable solution of the mystery. He says:–
This display of splendour was, after all, but a very natural result of the convict element in the town. The receivers of stolen plate and articles of bijouterie in England had chosen Sydney as a safe depot for the disposal of such articles, as agents for such a purpose might at that time easily be found there. A lady, the wife of an officer, wore a valuable gold comb, which was snatched out of her hair on coming out of the opera one night in London. The thief escaped, and no trace was found of the missing article in England. Two years afterwards — about 1825 — the lady joined her husband in Sydney. On the first day she walked out she was attracted by the display of brilliant articles in the shop of a well-known jeweller of that period. The first article that caught her eye, prominently displayed, was the identical stolen comb. She communicated the fact to her husband, and they visited the shop. Terms were proposed, either that the name of the consignor of the property or the property itself should be given up. The shopkeeper did not hesitate a moment. He gave up the comb rather than disclose the name of the party who sent it to him, probably aware that, on the disclosure of how and where he obtained it; all the other articles in his shop similarly obtained might be subjected to a compulsory surrender. The Sydney confederates return the compliment to their London allies by melting down stolen silver, and sending it to England. One fellow, however, was caught from not having had quick recourse to this notable expedient. Though for the "respectability of the trade", as he alleged, he joined a portion of the public in offering a reward for the discovery of an extensive robbery of plate, a sharp constable knew his man too well to trust him. On searching his premises a plate-chest full of the stolen property was found concealed under his counter. The benevolent contributor to the fund for the detection of crime paid a seven years' visit to Norfolk Island on account of his participation in the plunder.
So flourishing was this business, and so effective a temptation to those inclined to take that which did not belong to them, that stringent laws were passed to correct the evil. And there is a law still on the Statute Book of the colony which provides a heavier penalty for the receiver than it does for the thief.
Source: The Bushrangers (1915, March 16). The Farmer and Settler (Sydney, NSW : 1906 - 1955), p. 6.
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