KING'8 INSTRUCTIONS TO REPRESS SPIRIT TRAFFIC. suma drawn, occasioned a reprosentation hy your LordskipB pvedeeeBSor to Hia Royal Highness, who ordered Colonel Paterson, then in England, to rejoin the coips (179^*). I was aooii after despatched oti the most unpopular errand, to snpersL'cle the (4o%ernor, pnt a atop to ollicera' tnidiiig and dealing in spiritiions liquors^ destroy the oppressive monopolies that had yo long existed, and to make a total reform in the expeiiBiye and dis- hoiioui'ttVle plana vvliicb bad prevailed so long. On arriving I found the same practices prevailing^ and as soon as decency towards the late *TOVernor admitted I took the meaaiirea atated iJi the eiiLloaure." InstructioDB were framed in England, King arrived in Sydney on the 15th April 1800. Hunter was loth to lay down liis authority. On the 8th ilay King wrote earnestly to the Earl of irornhi«;ton ui India to re(|iiest his aid for " an ol>ject in which the interests ot huHuinity and of His Majesty's service are so materially concerned. The quan- tities of this poison (rimi) thrown into this colony would he truly distroBBing to your Lordship's feelings could you be informed of the evils attendant thereon." To Major Foveaux', acting Lt.-Governur at Norfolk Islandj he sent (June 1800) the iletailed instructions, which lie was unable to obtain Hunter^s consent to promulgate in Sydney until September, He added Avarniiigs from himself. Meanwhile, he assisted Hunter in general affairs at Sydney. But the spirit traffic* con tinning, and fresh importations lieing dreaded, he was constrained to nrge Hunter to permit him to reveal to the officers the nature of the new instructions devised to control the irregularities which had abounded amongst them and others. It was liard for Hunter to acquiesce, and perhaps unintentionally he increased his successor's difficulties. Enclosing all his correspondence with Hunter to the Duke of Portland, Khig pointed out *Hhe embarrassing situation in which 1 have been placed irom the moment of my arrival until Governor Hunter's departure." The new instructions (framed after consultation with Phillip and King) said:—
- And whereaa it has been bnmbly represented to Hia Majesty that the
greatest evils have arisen from the uiire»traine*1 importation of spiritnoua
- Despatch— King (14th Nov, J801 ) to the Duke of Portland, '*So great
was the fame of the propensity of the inhabitants of this c(dony to the inmioderate use of spirits, and the ct rtainty of getting any annjiuit of pay- ment ill government l>illi*, that I believe all* the nations of the earth agreed to hiuiidfite Una colony with spirita."
