and litigious conduct of a few transported practisers, who have practised
sufficient of the laws of England to know the chicanery and evil purposes
a bad man can turn them to."[1]
It is difficult to find an excuse for Lord Hobart for such neglect to do his duty as he displayed if it was possible for him to find such a person as was asked for.
King did not allow the convict-attorneys to plead for others. Crossley no doubt defended himself. Another of the class, Michael Robinson, conditionally emancipated, acted as clerk to the Judge-Advocate and magistrates; but there was no Roll of Attorneys and no Bar in the colony. The ex-convict clerk was in 1802 (General Order) convicted before King in the Appeal Court "of wilful and corrupt perjury, evidently intended to mislead the Governor's decision," and was sentenced by King to seven years' transportation "to Norfolk Island with hard labour."
The convict-attorneys did not love the Governor. His success in stifling the spirit-traffic, and sundry court-martials, made other enemies. In 1805 Crossley assisted Mr. Palmer, acting as agent for Mr. Robert Campbell, on the occasion of the sending away by the Governor of the 16,000 gallons of spirits sought to be improperly landed from the ship Eagle. Palmer endeavoured to resist the order. Crossley, at Palmer's house at the Hawkesbury, drew up a petition praying that the spirits might be landed. King wrote to the Governor-General in India (31st May 1805) that "existing circumstances had placed him under the unpopular necessity" of sending the spirits away, in spite of "every improper and illegal measure taken to invite the settlers to request" the landing.
"Two evils were left to choose: either to obey the king's instructions and send the spirits away at the risk of any opposition, or to yield to the demand under cover of a petition, plunge the inhabitants into every species of crime, and entail debts on the settlers that many years of hard labour would not have extricated them from. Duty and humanity required my choosing the former by hastening the departure of the Eagle, and I respectfully hope that any mensures your Lordship in council may be pleased to direct will prevent the further influx of spirits which interested individuals are so active in sending to this territory from India. In expressing my
- ↑ There were other convict-attorneys. Governor Macquarie foolishly patronized Michael Robinson, because the man eulogized Macquarie in rhyme. In 1811 Macquarie gave him a free pardon, and made him Deputy-Provost Marshal in 1820.
