"Monday 1st of June 1835.
P.Laurentz Campbell, Esq, called in and examined;
I am Police Magistrate of the districts of Maitland and
Paterson.
The former district is bounded by a line commencing at
the Hunters river (about halfway between Maitland and Newcastle)
and running southerly to the Sugar Loaf Mountain,thence by a line
to the Twelve Mile Hollow on the Sydney Road,from whence it continues
(along the road to the village of Wollombi and joins the Hunter,
between the first and last named points, completes the boundaries
of this district.).
Within Thse limits are comprised of three principal points.
1. The Government Township of Maitland (depending for its
rise upon the erection of public building within it)
and continuation thereof, called West Maitland,(where
the mass of population is now congregated), and the
village of Morpeth (at the head of the Hunter navigation),
extend, linked together, for upwards of six miles along
the great high road, to the interior, and necessarily
form the nucleus of one of these towns likely to become
rapidle of considerable importance in the colony.
The present population exceeds two thousand.
2.The Wollombi, comprising its own thickly set valley, the
small farms on Eillalong, the cattle stations in the
mountain ranges, and the retreats of squatters who have
congregated on the northern creeks of the Hawkesbury,
themselves short-sentence expirees, and their houses the
resorts of runaways and the receptable for stolen goods,
forms a district of itself,in which (very centrically
situated) is the village reserve.
2. The point where the great road crosses Black Creek, is
about to become a lockup station; its neighborhood is
thickly peopled and I have little doubt that hereabouts
a village will immediately arise.
The Population of the whole I should compute above four
thousand.
The only public building, the property of the Government,
now in use, is weatherboarded, and contains three aprtments of about
ten feet square each, one of these is occupied by the lock-p keeper,
and other two are the wards intended,one for males and the other for
females, but they neither allow this discrimation, nor afford the
means of seperating prisoners under preliminary examinations. Six
solitary cells are being erected adjoining the lockup, but when
upwards of double that number are sentenced to such punishment during
almost every month, and those prisoners now sent to Newcastle to
undergo the like, are kept five or six weeks awaiting vacancies, the
females after all being generally three or four together, it will be
seen that these avail but little, except as places as security for
prisoners generally.
The Quarter Sessions and Court of Requests are held at Maitland,
for the whole of the Hunters River district, including (besides
Maitland) the districts of Newcastle, Port Stephens, Williams River,
Paterson, Patricks Plains, Invermein, Merton, and Cassils, together
with the western plains of Nandourri,Talbrager, Gammon and Bow, and
the Company's settlement beyond the Liverpool Range.
To Maitland, in the first instance, all prisoners for ironed
gangs (sic) or Newcastle Jail are usually brought,hence my constables
must escort them; if they be for trial they return at the sessions,
and on conviction are again sent to Newcastle.The distance consquently
that each prisoner, when convicted of felony, has unnecessarily
travelled (by the jail and assize town being apart) amounts to nearly
sixty miles; whereby the police have been harassed, the public peace
endangered by the chances of escape, and the prisoners mightly amused.
At the time of the Quarter Sessions, including the prisoners
for that Court, for Petty Sessions,and under escort, I have (in
the two rooms before mentioned) been obliged to cram upwards of one
hundred persons, male and female together, not being able,without
endangering life, to close the doors, I have been compelled to fetter
these criminals to the chain night and day, to prevent escape.
I think I may say there are generally eighty persons in
custody for the Quarter Sessions.The ordinary number passing through
the lock up may be thirty weekly.
The Police Court is now held in a rented store, situated
abouut a mile from the lockup. The court-room is large, but the rest
of the building is incommodius and inconvenient;there is no alteration
it would admit of which could allow its permant adaption to its
present temporary use.
There are four unpaid magistrates;but only two of them attend
the Bench with any regularity; one of the four lives eighteen miles
off.
There is a Clerk of the Bench at Maitland who receives one
hundred pounds a year, and enjoys no other office; his duties are
odius,and require constant attention; he would be much relieved,and
the public service benefitted, were the office keeper to be salaried
to an amount which would secure a person able to draw out forms and
fill in suummons and etc. This clerks salary is below that of the
clerks at the other session towns, and I am convinced none have more,
if much, to do.
There is a sergeant and three troopers of police at this
station liable to be withdrawn from the district.This number I would
recommend be increased by three,at least. Their barrack and stabling
has just undergone a thorough repair,and is well placed.
I have no chief constable, but eight ordinary constables at
two shillings and three pence a day for Maitland, and one at two
shillings and three pence a day at Wollombi.There is a lock-up Keeper
for Maitland at two shillings and ten pence a day, a scourger at one
shilling and nine pence a day, and the office keeper at one shilling
and one pence.
I receive,and am responsible for,the safe and speedy furtherance
of all stores sent from Sydney to the upper districts.
The convict cases were two thirds less last month than they
were some months ago. The free cases have increased.
The business of the bench,including the preliminary steps in
felonies and misdemeanours, adjudicating under the Licensing,
Slaughtering, Road and Impounding Acts principally,hearing Assault
cases, and trying Convicts to the extent of their summary power,
certainly average fifty cases a week. However, this is hardly a fair
average when including the increase of misconduct during the Quarter
Sessions and Court of Requests, when drunkeness occurring as the wool
drays are in and about the town.
My individual duties are,of course,materially increased by the
control of the constabulary, the carrying on of the correspondence,
and the details of office.Indeed, the business of this town and its
immediate neighborhood is quite sufficient to employ every moment of
my time, and a serious injury occurs to the public by being at any
time withdrawn from immediate call; one reason for this is the means
of ready escape afforded to offenders by the steam vessels. I have
never yet passed two successive days without my presence being
actually required; and on most occasions of my going to Paterson,
I have also held a Court the same day at Maitland.
I may remark that a very large proportion of this population
are free, whereby my presence is more constantly required to sign
legal instruments to empower constables to act, than were the
offending or suspected parties prisoners, and thereby amenable to
immediate arrest. Again these many free cases require immediate
adjustment, whereas prisoners await the fixed Petty Sessions.
I would beg to recommend that the Maitland district be
bounded by a line commencing at the Hunter (between Maitland and
Newcastle) where it does now, running in the same course to the
Sugar Loaf, and from thence follow the course of the Black Creek
to its mouth, leaving the same river boundary as before -which
would in fact, include the Wollombi. To continue the Paterson duty
would be impossible.
I beg to recommend the erection in this township, of a
commodius jail and court house. At Morpeth, a permant watchhouse
and a police boat are required, and at West Maitland, a like building
is absolutely necessary.
Police buildings are, of course,necessary at Wollombi.
Here I beg to suggest the appointment of a Chief Constable at four
shillings a day.
A Lockup keeper for each of the watchhouses at three shillings
a day viz, Maitland Township,West Maitland township, Morpeth township.
An Office Keeper at 3s 0d a day
4 Constables at Maitland 3s - "
8 constables at Maitland 2s 6d "
2 constables at Morpeth 2s 6d "
At Wollombi I recommend the stationing of a party of mounted
police,a lockup keeper, and three constables,and one scourger.
Present Establishment
1 lock up keeper 2s 10d a day
9 constables 2s 3d a day
1 office keeper 1s 9d a day
1 scourger 1s 9d a day
Proposed Establishment
1 chief constable 4s 0d a day
4 lockup keepers 3s 0d a day
1 officer keeper 3s 0d a day
4 constables each 3s 0d a day
13 constables 2s 6d a day
Increase
1 chief constable
3 lockup keepers
8 constables
1 scourger
The people at Wollombi are fifty miles from any bench.
The Paterson District commences at Nelsons Plains,on
the Hunter River, and is bounded by a line along the dividing ranges
of the Paterson and Williams' rivers, the district runs back into
the ranges from whence the Paterson and Allyn rivers rise, which
ranges form a boundary until they terminate at the Hunter; from this
point the course of that river to Nelsons Plains completes the out-
line of the district.
The district is extensive and fertile: I cannot arrived with
any certainty at a means of judging its population, which may amount
to two thousand. it has the advantage of being appropriated to
resident proprietors.
There are two unpaid magistrates who may be expected to attend
the Bench with some regularity now the Court Houuse is nearer their
residences.
I hold Petty Sessions there once a fortnight.I regret to say,
I am at times unavoidably absent, while I feel that the constabulary
there are neither efficient in force or control.
This district and the country between it and the sea are
occasionaly shut out by the floods of the Hunter, which is peculiarly
strong reason for their requiring a police force within them.
I propose,therefore, the stationing there of a detachment of
mounted police.
Present Establishment
1 lockup keeper 2s 3d a day
6 constables each 2s 3d a day
1 scourger 1s 5d a day
Proposed Establishment
1 lockup keeper
1 chief constable
10 constables
1 scourger
Increase
1 chief constable
4 constables.
The clerk of the bench has a salary of ninety pounds a year,
and receives about ten pounds additional as postmaster.
I have great difficulty in finding proper persons to fill the
situation of constable in consequence of the expense and harrassing
nature of the escort duty they have to perform, and the pay being
below what they can receive in prive services. I employ almost
exclusively ticket of leave holders, these I prefer either to prisoners
or short-sentence expirees, indeed I think both these latter highly
objectionable.
The salary of the Police Magistrate of Maitland and Paterson
was £150 a-year with a house, without any allowance for a horse, but
I have lately received a communication officially informing me that
I am to receive £50 in lieu of a house. I recommend that the official
residence I now occupy be reserved for the Police Magistrate, and
that the area about it which includes the police barrack and is
required to be of sufficient extent for their horses, be defined
and determined.
I have and am obliged to keep two horses and one will be
absolutely necessary even though I retain but one district; my
expenses for these, and the repairing my house exceed salary.
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