that Mr. Macnrthuf Iuxb not fultilled his fihare of that solenm engagement j J that he has not devoted liiniself with uiireiiutting assididty to the publio: affairs ; that he biis not expost^d himself to reproach and obloquy l>y hi^ exertioiTiS to detect the frauds and oppressions of the adherents of the lat^ Governor, or Umt he has not faithfully done everything in his power to carry my wishes ioto ed'eet for the reduction of the expeuditure of public money, aod to prevent the improjier tlistrihution of the public servants and projMjrty. But ^XMhapft these are his offences; if so, k^t me assure you that ho has only oljoyed my orders, and that, had he acted differently, I bhoold liave l>een as ready to withdraw my confidence from him, aa I knen some i>f YOU are desirous that I .shouUL To Abbott and other officers, Jamison the principal] surgeon, DWrcy W*^titvvortli, with others, the letter was formall}" adth-essetl. The officers probably kru^w that action were needed Johnston would not be triHed with ; and Abbott, and twelve oiherg, of whom D'Arcy Wentworth was one, replied in writing on the day on which Johnstoii wrote to them :
- Tlic undersigned officers, having asaendded l>y order of His Honour thufj
Lt.'Uovernor, to give their sentiuieuts on a letter which His Honour laid] before them, are unaninmnsly of opinion that they do not feel themselveaj jnstiBed, nor would they piesuine to call iu question the right or pi'opriet^^ of Ilia consulting any person he may think proper, eitlrer publicly of! privately, and that they shall at all times feel much pleasure in obeying' his ordei^a, which is all they consider they have to do as oHicers serving nmlcr bini." In administering the government it was a prime object with Johnston and his Secretary to make as I'ew^ drafts aa| possible on the Englisli Treasury, They found oumeroua despatches impressing bucIi a duty on previous Governors,;] and they knew that Bligh had not distinguisshed himself hy obedience. They compiled, but it wan at the acknowledged^ cost of much of the live stock in the colony. Mr, J31axland, one of those who entreated Johnston to depose Bligh, declared on oath that Jobnston afterwards^ conferred no favours upon him, and that neither Johnston J nor Bligli had acted up to the instructions of the Becretaryj of State m granting lands to liim as a settler. JobnstonJ w^as described by many witnesse-s as a man of retired habits, and he did not covet the post w^hich, as Acting Lt. -Governor, he had assumed. CoL Paterson, Lt. -Governor at Port Dalrymple, was| Johnston's senior officer in the New South Wales Corps. To him Johnston reported (2iid Feb,) what had occurred.
