fixed determination predominated that a prison contingent to the population would be resisted in every practicable way. T h e question, however, was removed from the region of suspense by the arrival, in the Bay, on the 15th November, of the "Royal George," from England, with an assorted sample of twenty Pentonville* "exiles." Though shipped under the guise of "emigrants," they were simply convicts, who, having served a certain period of their sentences in the Penitentiary at Pentonville, obtained pardons, conditional upon their leaving England. It was stated that they had come out under engagement to a cabin passenger ; but this was a point never satisfactorily cleared up. They were to receive wages, and would not be amenable to the stringent conditions imposed upon ordinary " ticket-of-leave " men. Such an unexpected event created quite a sensation, and thefirstnote of opposition was struck by the T o w n Council, which lost no time in memorialising the H o m e Government in the matter. Through some explicable apathy, there was no public demonstration to second the well-timed action of the Corporation, and no doubt, miscalculating the bent of public opinion, or encouraged by the inaction prevailing, a number of squatters, and others interested in pastoral pursuits, had the hardihood to venture upon a public meeting, to c o m m e n d the course pursued by the H o m e authorities. This gathering (which professed to emanate from persons interested in obtaining a sufficient supply of labour, and endeavoured to induce the Government to forward Pentonville exiles suited to country pursuits), was held on the 17th December, at the Royal Hotel, Collins Street, and Major William Firebrace was appointed Chairman. Mr. Edward Curr moved a resolution affirming " that in the absence of the ordinary means of obtaining free immigration, the introduction of a number of the class of m e n from Pentonville Penitentiary, denominated ' exiles,' would be beneficial to the country." This was seconded by Dr. Bernard, a passenger by the " Royal George," w h o so identified himself with the "exiles," as to lead to the belief that he was either the person reported to have " farmed " them, or was in some other way specially interested in the matter. But the advocates of cheap labour were not to have it all their own way, for a small opposition mustered, and was led by M r . William Kerr, w h o vehemently denounced both movement and movers, and declared that the people would resist to the uttermost any attempt to introduce convictism, no matter in what form. Dr. Palmer moved, as an amendment, that a public meeting be convened by the Mayor for the 9th January, for the consideration of the question, and he was supported by Messrs. J. L. Foster, N . Black, A. Cunninghame, and others, but it was negatived, and the motion carried with a slight alteration. T h e squatting move acted like an exploded b o m b in waking up public feeling, and a numerouslysigned requisition was presented to the Mayor (Mr. H . Moor), by virtue of which a meeting of the inhabitants was held on the 23rd December. T h e Mayor presided, and addresses were delivered by Messrs. W . Kerr, J. A. Marsden, J. P. Fawkner, John Stephen, Michael M'Culla, Stephen Donovan, and George Were. Resolutions were passed condemning the introduction of prisoners or expirees, Pentonville or otherwise ; that it would be a wanton act of injustice to sanction such a step, and declaring that the former meeting did not, by any means, represent (as purported), the inhabitants of Port Phillip. Meanwhile, the authorities in Downing Street, not caring m u c h h o w the convict offal of British prisons could be got rid of, despatched intermittent batches of the euphoniously named "exiles" in such manner as they thought would, by degrees, reconcile the colonists to the infliction. In so doing, they were, no doubt, covertly encouraged by the settlers, their London friends, and the large h o m e wool houses interested in Australia. Free immigration had ceased, and a continuous supply of free labour cut off. Stockmen, shepherds, and shearers, must be had at the lowest possiblefigures; the lower the better—and those interested in station property (save a few honourable exceptions), cared little from what region, upper or lower, the labour came, provided they got it at a minimum. A s to the " exiles," the supposed engagement in England was all nonsense, for the m o m e n t they landed from the ship, they were free to follow a good or evil course ad lib. S o m e of them started fairly enough, and subsequently lived a new life. O n e of them, in a few years, owned a chemist's shop in Collins Street, and was elected to the T o w n Council, and aspired to the Mayoralty, but did not get it. A wealthy, over-fast publican, whose glib tongue and " shouting " ways, raised him to an Aldermanic chair, was a remarkable instance how a m a n
- Pentonville is to London what Pentridge is to Melbourne.—ED.
