Meredith, of Swanport, captured bushrangers; but
after their trial was anxious to intercede for their lives. He applied
to the police clerk, a ticket-of-leave holder, for a copy of his own
deposition, and that of his servant: this, not uncommon, was called a
breach of trust. The clerk was punished, and Meredith warned that he
would receive no more servants, except he could explain his conduct. A
report reached the government, that himself and Mr. Amos set the
magistrates of the territory at defiance, and he was told his servants
would be probably recalled. This was a practical application of Arthur's
views, before expressed to the same settler. The governor maintained,
that when the secretary of state authorised a grant of land, it did not
confer a claim on the government for the assignment of servants (_Letter
to Mr. Meredith from the Colonial Secretary_, 1828). It was alleged,
that the conduct of Meredith had been inimical to the government, and to
the maintenance of internal tranquillity.]

[Footnote 199: At p. 148 of this volume, it is said, that an
attorney-general (Stephen) received an additional grant for improvements
he never made. This, Mr. Stephen contradicted, and stated that when he
obtained his maximum grant he was not in office. The statement was made
by Mr. Bryan before a committee of the House of Commons.]

[Footnote 200: _Backhouse's Narrative_, p. 15.]

[Footnote 201: "At the time to which he (Mr. Hall, of the _Monitor_)
refers,--we say it with the deepest regret--we suffered ourselves to be
influenced by a set of heartless, self interested beings, whose opinions
we blindly adopted, and to whose objects we were the dupe. Other
circumstances produced a state of excitement which can never again exist
here, because it can never be again endured."--_Tasmanian_ (Mr. R. L.
Murray), June 25, 1833.

"We were forced into opposition by what we conceived to be an act of
unmerited, unprovoked injustice, which we resented; and the perpetration
of which led us to listen, and to be influenced, by the opinions of
those into whose intimate associations we were drawn. We thereby
provoked persecution, which we resented: we were prejudiced by these
persecutions, and our opinions and the expression of our feelings were
influenced by this feeling of unmerited suffering, and by the opinion of
those into whose association we were driven." ... "If we have, in our
editorial capacity, wronged any man, we sincerely ask their