Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Thursday 19 August 1824, page 1


NEW SOUTH WALES. PROCLAMATION,

By His Excellency SIR THOMAS BRISBANE, Knight Commander of the Most Honor-

able Military Order of the Bath, Captain

General and Governor in Chief in and over

His Majesty's Territory of New South

Wales and its Dependencies, &c. &c. &c.

WHEREAS the ABORIGINAL NATIVES

of the Districts near Bathurst, have, for

many Weeks past, carried on a Series of indis-

criminate Attacks on the STOCK STATIONS there, putting some of the Keepers to cruel Deaths, wounding Others; and dispersing and plundering the Flocks and Herds - themselves not escaping sanguinary Retaliation; —

AND WHEREAS the ordinary Powers of the Civil Magistrates (although most anxiously ex-erted) have failed to protect the Lives of His Majesty's Subjects; and every conciliatory Mea-sure has been pursued in vain; and the Slaughter of Black Women and Children, and unoffending White Men, as well as of the lawless Objects of Terror continue to threaten the before-mentioned Districts: —

AND WHEREAS, by Experience, it hath been found, many times, Bloodshed may be stopped by the Use of Arms against the Natives beyond the ordinary Rule of Law in Time of Peace; and, for this End, Resort to summary Justice has become necessary: —

NOW THEREFORE, by Virtue of the Au-thority in me vested by His Majesty's Royal Commission, I do declare, in Order to restore

Tranquillity, MARTIAL LAW TO BE IN FORCE IN ALL THE COUNTRY WEST-WARD OF MOUNT YORK:— And all Sol-

diers are hereby ordered to assist; and obey their lawful Superiors in suppressing the Violence aforesaid; and all His Majesty's subjects are also

hereby called upon to assist the Magistrates in

executing such Measures as any one or more of the said Magistrates shall direct to be taken for the same Purpose, by such Ways and Means as are expedient, so long as Martial Law shall last; being always mindful, that the Shedding of Blood is only just where all other Means of Defence, or of Peace, are exhausted; that Cruelty is never lawful; and that, when personal Attacks become necessary, the helpless Women and Children are to be spared.

In Witness whereof I, the Governor aforesaid, have hereunto set my Hand, and caused the Seal of my Office, as Governor of the Colony of New South Wales and its Dependencies, to be affixed, this Fourteenth Day of Au-gust, in the Year of Our Lord One thous-and eight hundred and twenty-four,

"THOMAS BRISBANE." (L.S.)

By His Excellency's Command, F. GOULBURN, Colonial Secretary.

GOD SAVE THE KING !