Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Sunday 8 July 1804, page 2


SYDNEY.

Hɪꜱ Exᴄᴇʟʟᴇɴᴄʏ has been pleased to ex-tend Hɪꜱ Mᴀᴊᴇꜱᴛʏ’ꜱ Mercy to 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑠

𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒, capitally convicted before the last Criminal Court ; and who in consequence thereof returns to his original sentence.

Last week the Coromandel took on board

a large quantity of plank, and upwards of 400 valuable she oak logs.

On Tuesday an indifferent character was apprehended at Parramatta, on suspicion of carrying on a nefarious correspondence.

What end can be proposed from such a species of misdemeanor it is impossible to conjecture ; but the extreme lenity with which offenders have been treated might surely have been expected, and from different inducements, to work a reformation in the minds of the most obdurate and unfeeling — it should in the first place have been considered an undoubted testimony that our Govern-meant, conscious of its energy and strength, had nothing to apprehend from the mad‐ brain'd projects of a set of deluded people, who, unhappily attentive to the persuasions of a miscreant few, precipitately rushed upon a ruin from which there remained not a retreat, save in the mild and merciful de-portment of the very Power they had ridi-culously attempted to subvert ; and at the same time the mercy almost indiscriminately dispensed, even supposing it to proceed from confident security, yet certainly entitled that Power to every return that gratitude could

offer.

Necessary it is, that the career of profliga-cy should be arrested by the Law’s protecting influence, upon which depends the very existence of society itself ; and although in many instances mercy may have interposed between the criminal and the reward of his demerits, yet how must the unworthy member who places his reliance upon lenity unmerited sink even in his own opinion — and how despicable a picture of debasement must he exhibit to all around him !— But

yet, how much more contemptible, how truly detestable the ingrate, who wretchedly abuses the mercy he has once received !

The General Order of last week requir-ing that all Persons in the habit of accom-modating lodgers, should report such as come from other Settlements, occasionally sleeping in their houses, every housekeeper is equally interested in enforcing ; as this Ordinance (for infracting which, let the pe-nalty be remembered) will in all probabi-lity effectually provide for their nocturnal security.

On Monday last a rohbery was effected in the house of Frederick Koyle on the Rocks, and which, from the circumstances attending it, was plausibly imputed to some of the 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠. Koyle’s chest was broke open and his watch and most of his wearing apparel taken out ; and another chest, belonging to an industrious fisher‐ man, was also forced open, and many ar-ticles of its contents stolen, among which were two pair of blue cloth trowsers, a piece of nankeen, two pair of men’s new shoes, several linen shirts, and between 3 and 4£. in copper coin. We recount the articles lost as a necessary caution should such be offered for sale. The same night something of a white appearance was per-ceived in a pig‐stye, by a house‐keeper near the Hospital Wharf, and upon examination the object that had attracted his notice

proved to be a part of the property taken from Koyle, with his watch and some of the copper coin carefully rolled up. The chief constable was made acquainted with the circumstance ; and although he took every possible precaution, yet the villain who had deposited the property not choosing to return for it, escaped detection.