56 A VAIN PETITION. 1787 At least this I sincerely wish, nor do I think I can ever be as happy elsewhere as in the place of their destination, employed in using my endeavours to bring them out of the wretched state of depravity into which they have fallen. I entreat, therefore, most Happy in humbly that this our request may be granted. These poor people UoinKgood. ^.^ ^1^^ ^^^ thank you. I shall take care that they be not forgetful of their obligations to Government and Lord Sydney. I have the honor of, subscribing myself Your lordship's most humble servant, Thomas Walshe, Priest. Passage only My lord, — We are not so presumptuous as to wish support " ° ^^' from Government ; we offer our voluntary services ; we hope, however, not to offend in entreating for our passage. If the statement made by Mr. Justice Burton on the authority of the Rev. Samuel Marsden represents the facts of the case. Lord Sydney's indifference to the Roman Oatho- lie appeal needs no explanation. Ministers of religion, what- ever the sect they might belong to, did not appear to the Official official mind as at all necessary members of a colonising ex- indifferenco . " . p i i • to religion. peditioH. vVhether or not the appointment of a chaplain to the First Fleet was obtained only through the intervention of Sir Joseph Banks at the last moment, there is no doubt that the subsequent expedition to Port Essington sailed without any chaplain at all. The neglect in one case is the best explanation that can be giyen of the indifference in the other. It would certainly not be just to find fault with Phillip, because, while engaged in cataloguing in his memo.** all the needful means he could think of for governing the peculiar people committed to his charge, he did not see the Moral necessity for providing a moral police force as well as an ^ **' armed one. Neither to him nor to Lord Sydney did it occur that any better means of control for such a population could be found than those which had already been provided, in the shape of marines with fixed bayonets. It was not until Phillip had begun to form his settlement at Sydney Cove Digitized by Google
