Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/506

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478 A COUKT^MARTIAL. ROYAL VETERAN COMPANY. 3. For disgraceful and ungentlemanly conduct in making the seizure personally. 4. For equally disgraceful conduct ill authorizing his agent (the lawyer) to write improper and inflammatory language to Lt^-GoL MoHe, during Mac- quarie'e abaence. Macquarie ordered the stoppage of the Bolicitor's salary, for his ^* insolent, offensive, and insulting eondiict in the late false, unwarrantable, and vain attempt to seize the vessel" in contempt of the Groveruor's authority. The lawyer averred that at the time of the fleiznre he knew ** nothing of the Governor's having given permission for the vessel to be entered at the port." Lord Bathurst told Macquarie timt his conduct was illegal, but Macquarie endeavoured to justify himself, and pending further instructions did not comply with the order to restore the solicitor to his position. Harsh language was not rare in Macquarie*a mouth. In 1819, under his own hand, he addressed the government printer thus : —

    • Untie rat an (ling you have in your service a man who came to this

colony last from the Cape of Good Hope without the sanction of His Majesty's (lovernment, but who from motives of humanity I peimitted to become a settler; and it having come l-o my knowledge that the said - did affix his signature to a ^caudalouB, tebellious, and libellous paper, directed to the House of Commons, against my person and government . . , . now it being my determination that no anch infamous incendiary ahall be employed in any depaitnieut under government in this colony, I hereby command and direet you at your peril t-o retain the said in your employ after one month from the date hei-eof/' -^ Macqnarie was diaaatisfied with his brother officers. It was time, he tliooght, to alter the Criminal Court, and be asked that the Tlird Begiment might be removed. Before the 40fch Regiment left the colony. Colonel Molle had, as Lt*-Govr., asked for a court-martial to try certain charges against D'Arcy Wentworth, the principal surgeon. Macquarie , though he described the charges as ** frivolous and ridiculous," ordered a court-martial^ hut the Judge- Advocate thought a court-martial had no jurisdiction over a civil officer like Wentworth, and the objection was sustained in England. Macquarie did not find reason to cununend the "Royal Veteran Company of New South Wales/' which he formed in 1810, when the 102nd (the old ^The above letter was published in England by Mr. H. G, Bennett, ]Sif.F,f in a letter to Lord Bathurat, 1820. Mr. Bigge waa then engaged in his inquiry in the colony.