The Monitor [Sydney] Friday 18 Aug 1826  p. 7.
A new Bench of Magistrates assembles at the Bar in Hyde Park simultaneously with the Police Bench.

A Prisoner of the Crown, named Samuels belonging to the Barracks, was, on Friday last brought before the new Bench, consisting at the time of Captain Dumaresq, W. Carter, Esq. and F. Hely, Esq. upon the following charge–that he, the prisoner, had on the preceding day, in passing a person of the name of Stack, an Overseer of the Tread Mills, said to his companion in a jeering way, "Any body for the Mill to day?"

This being deposed to by Mr. Stack, Samuels was sentenced to receive Fifty lashes. SEVERAL others for being absent from Night Muster were awarded respectively 25 lashes and upwards.

WE admit that the late insubordination of the men confined in the Barracks requires vigorous measures - still FIFTY lashes for a single jeering expression en pas- sant strikes us as being too much. Undue severity defeats its own end. Three days to the tread-mill in our opinion would have been a more appropriate punishment.