Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/178

 the future the offenders would be brought before a court-martial. In 1814 a somewhat similar warning was given to the civil officers, and in 1816 the warning was made stronger by quotations from a despatch of Lord Bathurst's. After that time there were no complaints of a public nature, and though Macquarie wrote to the Secretary of State that several officers of the 46th had entered into grazing speculations, he took no action against them in the Colony. Very likely they managed their business through agents, or at least made it appear as though they themselves were not actually engaged therein. So long as grants of land were given to civil and military officers, it was of course impossible to prevent them turning their estates to as profitable uses as they could. The civil staff continued throughout this period to have grants almost as matters of right, and indeed to the judges they were offered as inducements to taking the posts. But with regard to the military officers, Macquarie as early as 1813 asked for written instructions prohibiting him from making them grants, wishing to have Lord Bathurst's support publicly given in following an unpopular course. Although Lord Bathurst did not give the instructions required, Macquarie consistently refused to give further grants to any officer or officer's wife. As land was selling at as low a price as 5s. an acre, those who wished to have farms of their own might purchase them, but in many ways the Governor strove to prevent them from touching trade concerns. Thus in 1814 he put an end to a profitable business which had long been carried on by Government servants of buying articles from the King's stores ostensibly for their own use and then selling them with great profit to the settlers.