Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/252

---

inform all owiiers that not more than 500 gallons of spirits wonld be allowed to be landed from any veaseL An Ameri- can vessbl arrived in 1801 with 13,000 gallons of spirits, and King did not allow a drop to be landed* Between the 28th Hept. IBOO and 81at Dec, 1801 he had Bent awa}^ more Dnin it2,000 gallons of spirits and 22,000 gallonw of wine, and that which was landed by permission was sold at prices fixed bj himself, and rangmg from fonr shiilinga to ten shillings a gallon. These prices coming after the recoYery, in the Court of Sydney, of one hnndred and sixty shillings a gallon in Governor Hunter's time, and confirmed bj liim on appeal, abated the lust of importers. The captain of the American vessel asked King to give him a certificate that the importation was forbidden, and Xing wrote to the United States Minister in London (through the Secretary of State), hoping that his letter might jirevent Americans from riskhig their property; ** the penalty of landing which, without my permit in writing, is forfeiture of ship and cargo/* Lord Hobart, who then con- trolled the department, replied: — ■^ I very niiu;li approve of t!ii3 steps you liave taken to lessen the evils ariBing from the eiiormoiis quantity of spirits imiwrted into the colony^ and yon may depeml npon iny liTni support in every logal ami jiistitialjle exertioij you may continue to make in furtherance of this very essential object. I'he dismissal of the American vessel will operate more powerfully than any measure to prevent the resort of others^ so Iriden ; ami the most strict instructions will he given to all mastera of vessels from this country and from Lrelaml in accordance with your anggestions, which I have not failetl to i-'onimunicate to the Conmiissionera of Transport/' Kin.i,^ had written alfciO (IIarch 1801) to the Commissioners, and they replied (31st Dec, 1801):— "It is ranch to he lamented that such vast tjtiantities of spirits have been clandestinely imported into New South Wales contrary to the spirit and teuour of onr chitrter parties; but we trust that your endeavours co- openiting with our own, will in future greatly disLrourage if not entirely prevent a tratlic so pernicious to the health ami morals of the people under y (HI r go ve ru m en t / ' The Chttftcv, with letters of martpie, wan in the South Seas, and King acciuainted her commander (24th April 1801) that any prize he might take wonld receive refresh- ments necessary, hat if containing more than 1000 gallons of spirits wonld "not be stiffered to come into the cove or have her cargo condemned." He wrote also to all British Consuls in America (March 1802), with *' the approbation of 4 J