Samuel Burt proceedingsdefend This name instance is in set 2643. , who had refused his Majesty's pardon the sessions before, was set to the bar, and informed by the Court that he stood attainted of felony, and that his Majesty had been graciously pleased to extend his royal mercy to him, on condition of his being transported for and during his natural life, to the Eastern coast of New South Wales, when he addressed the Court as follows:

My Lord, I know not how to express my acknowledgements of your Lordship's goodness to me, as the bad state of my health renders me inadequate sufficiently to express my feelings, and as I think it impossible that any qualities your Lordship can impute to me, can give me such a place in your Lordship's consideration, which I have had the good fortune to receive; I must therefore attribute it to your large and extended benevolence, which has allotted me six weeks time to consider of my dreadful situation. From whatever motive my conduct arose, I beg to assure your Lordship, that I am now really sorry for repelling those tender feelings, which formerly actuated your Lordship, and the worthy Sheriffs; but, I hope that my unfeigned sorrow for such ingratitude will still find compassion: I now assure you, I will receive the offered mercy with the utmost gratitude to my Sovereign, and thanks to the Court and Sheriffs; and I beg libertyto assure the Court, that not withstanding I committed the crime, for which I was justly convicted; yet I can with the greatest propriety clap my hand on my heart, and call heaven to witness, that from the fatal hour of the forgery, I had not the least intention to defraud; but what is infinitely worse, I committed that forgery with a view of terminating thereby my own existence. My Lord, too early in life, I cultivated an attachment for a female friend, and the voice of experience, made no objection to that attachment; how comfortable should I have been, if I could have called her mine, but there was an insurmountable bar in the way, which time only could remove. I was an apprentice, and had part of my time to serve; then the fatal thought entered into my head, to fix on the rash act which I now lament as my greatest evil, and deplore as my sincerest misfortune: I doubt not but my sincere repentance may make me a valuable member of society, would my gracious Sovereign only allow me the indulgence of being joined in union with the object of my attachment, it would take off some part of my heavy distress: Allow me my Lord, so far to presume on your Lordship's goodness, that you will once more lay my case before the Throne, and that some degree of rational expectation may be allowed me to form such a hope; and in the pure feelings of a conscious heart, I solemnly assure your Lordship, that neither time, place, nor circumstances, or any thing short of death, shall ever erase from my mind those feelings of gratitude, and the sincerest thinks, which I owe for the humanity, and kind intercession of your Lordship and the worthy sheriff.

Court. I am glad that the mercy of your Sovereign, and the indulgence of the Court, have at length brought you to a proper sense of your duty, and to a becoming state of mind; I hope that that state of mind which has been produced by that mercy, will remain such as to render you hereafter an honest, and if possible, an useful member of society in another country; although the justice and the laws of this will forbid your remaining there. All that rests with me at present, is to declare the condition of the pardon, which his Majesty, has already thought fit to grant you by sparing your life, which was justly forfeited to the injured laws of your country; therefore your having with propriety accepted the mercy of your Sovereign on that condition, it only remains for me to pronounce an order pursuant there to, which is that you be transported for and during your natural life to the Eastern coast of New South Wales.

The prisoner then bowed and retired.