signed" by the residents, was addressed to Earl Grey, and thanked him for acceding to their wishes. Yet they were not all acceded to. The memorialists "consider the introduction of convicts on a large scale the only means of placing the colony in a prosperous condition, and urge their speedy introduction as rapidly as circumstances will permit, accompanied with a proportion of free labour, and sufficient protection in the shape of troops and pensioners." The italics are the memorialists' own. No doubt recognising the necessity for an outlet for their numerous convicts, no more welcome message than the first part could be forwarded the Imperial Government.
A public meeting was held in Perth on 10th July, when resolutions were carried, thanking Earl Grey for answering the "prayers" of colonists, and asking that such numbers of convicts be introduced as were commensurate with the works necessary for the development of the colony. Mr. G. Shenton exclaimed that 150 men were not enough; 1,000 could be employed round the capital alone for ten years. To supply all their wants in the shape of public works, 10,000 men would scarcely be sufficient. Finally, the meeting again expressed its gratitude, but asserted that disappointment and distress could alone await the greater part of the persons thus brought to the colony "unless the permanency, as well as magnitude, of the convict establishment be secured."
Then came the Independent Journal, which complained that the protection afforded by the pensioners was quite inadequate. To gain a living they must disperse through the country. "Even on the contemplated small scale," it continues, "the Home Government ought to afford us at least the protection of a regiment of the line." More pleasure was manifested when, on 26th July, the ship Sophia arrived from Plymouth with thirty-four married couples, seventy single men, fifty-seven single women, and fifty-one children, all free emigrants.
Contrary to local expectation, only one more convict ship arrived at Fremantle in 1850. This was the Hashemy, which put into port on 25th October with 100 men. So busy had been the convict authorities on the premises of Captain Scott that there was already ample room for the accommodation of the additional arrivals. A metamorphosis, delightful to the heart of the colonist, had rapidly taken place, and a cluster of buildings surrounded the square old store. In these the various departments of the Establishment were congregated.
Convicts from the Scindian and Hashemy were constantly being allowed to leave the prison on tickets of leave and were being absorbed by settlers. Stories, startling enough for memoirs, were circulated concerning the past of one and another of them; the further the reports went the more inflated they became. Their only effect was to lend a spice of excitement to the employment of ticket-of-leave men, for, otherwise, the poor fellows proved valuable enough to the settlers. With change of climate, environment and prospect, many of them were encouraged to industry and honest living.
While the convict establishment was busy in building at Fremantle the Government was not idle. The arrival of so many new people, and the anticipated prosperity induced them to put up new buildings directly or indirectly required through the influx of people. Thus in March 1850, tenders were called for building a schoolroom at Fremantle; in July, from those people willing to furnish barrack accommodation to from twelve to twenty soldiers at Fremantle; in September, for the erection of a stone wall, 354 feet long, and about 7 feet high, to enclose part of the Government Domain in Pier Street; in November, for building barracks on the Whale Jetty, Bathers Bay, Fremantle; and in December, for building a bonded store at Fremantle, 21 feet by 48 feet.
The year 1851 broke full of promise. What with more labour for settlers, and an increased number of consumers for local products, an immediate benefit was gained from the penal establishment. Convicts were about to work in road parties in different parts of the colony, depots were being established in the chief centres, and members of the community were awakened from an old standing lethargy. It was the beginning of a period of persistent activity in public works, and, says one writer, himself a convict, thenceforth for some years "the primitive history of the colony is written for ever in its roads." The construction of these main lines of communication marked a point from which much that is now valuable may be traced. Roads, bridges, jetties, streets, and public buildings followed each other during ensuing years. It is not our intention to refer at this stage to the procedure of the automata of the system on these works; the system was in its fullest swing some years later.
In April, 1851, a Finance Board, having as its original members Messrs. T.N. Yule (Acting Colonial Secretary), E.G.W. Henderson (Comptroller-Genera]), and H.C. Darling (Assistant Commissary-General), was appointed to check improvident expenditure in the Convict Department of Western Australia. Its duties were mostly those of recommendation to the Governor, and through him to the Imperial authorities. All matters connected with finance were brought before the board, which was required to prepare the estimates for convict expenditure.
Among the first questions debated was that of deciding whether the Imperial Government should be charged with the salaries of clerks, police, and magistrates who were directly employed by the local Government. This was a question about which there was considerable debate among colonists. By the increase of population and the necessity of additional protection new clerks were employed, magistrates' duties were doubled, and a large augmentation of the police corps was enforced. The Imperial Government agreed in 1852-3 to pay two-thirds of the police fund, and also made an allowance to magistrates and other officials. Before the completion of these arrangements the number of police in Fremantle, Perth, and country districts was materially increased. Some of these officers were imported from Van Dieman's Land, some were taken from among the settlers, and some came from England. A water police force was organised at Fremantle, and whaleboats and other necessary accompaniments were obtained. In November it was decided to immediately establish a mounted police force throughout the colony; the cost to be defrayed out of the convict fund for the first two years. All the concomitants of a penal settlement were gradually established, even to the engagement on 18th June, of Mr. F. Armstrong as schoolmaster to the convicts. In December two engineer officers and 65 sappers and miners arrived per the barque Anna Robertson. Most of the soldiers were accompanied by their wives and children. Ten children were born on the voyage.
Some excitement was caused in February when it was announced that several convicts had escaped from the road gang stationed in the northern district. Not yet at home with the convict establishment fear took hold of the more timid settlers, and all sorts of terrible visitations were anticipated; they even began to regret the introduction of convicts at all. The only harm the felons appear to have done was caused by robberies from the huts of shepherds in the northern district. Most of the marauders were soon captured, already in some degree impressed with the hopelessness of
