"magistrates' meetings" show that in 1798 "Margarot complained of persons who used his boat without his leave." A man was brought forward, but he "declaring that Mr. Margarot's servant[1] had given him permission to make use of the boat, and the servant appearing and confessing that he had done so, the matter was dismissed." Most of the other Scotch political prisoners, and notably the other four martyrs, comported themselves peaceably in Sydney. But Margarot was ever on the watch for mischief, and the arrival of Irish convicts furnished materials for disaffection which he was quick to use.
Careless inquirers could not appreciate the magnitude of the evil with which the presence of large numbers of transported United Irishmen threatened the young colony. Pitt, nothing daunted by the obloquy cast upon him for the transportation of Gerald, Margarot, and others, pursued the threads of conspiracy which the London Corresponding Society was endeavouring to weave, and both Houses in 1794 suspended at his request the Habeas Corpus Act, on the ground—stated in the preamble to the Bill—"that a traitorous and detestable conspiracy had been formed for subverting the existing laws and constitution, and for introducing the system of anarchy and confusion which has so lately prevailed in France." In the following year the Treasonable Practices Bill and the Seditious Meetings Bill were passed by large majorities, and the scope formerly left by law to such organizations as the London Corresponding Society was considerably narrowed. The Society was equal to the emergency. If it failed in the light of day, it could work in the dark. It conspired with United Irishmen to encourage a French invasion. But the hand of Pitt followed it. In 1799 its practices were unveiled. It was, with kindred societies, suppressed by law, and fragments of it were transported to New South Wales.
The Irish rebellion of 1798 furnished recruits to the convicts who were called by their friends political prisoners,
- ↑ Margarot had an assigned servant. Amongst MSS. belonging to the family of Governor King there is one in Margarot's handwriting, saying, "Mr. Divine (superintendent of convicts) having ordered away my Government man, I have to entreat your Excellency to return him to me again. . . ."
