Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/277

 privately taken by a person who had frequent and unsuspected access to it, it had come to light that the signatures of several persons had been put to the memorial without their having any knowledge whatever of the circumstances, and some of these people &hellip; finding their names had been affixed to it and justly dreading my displeasure, have come forward and disclaimed on oath their ever having authorised any one else to sign for them the paper in question, and at the same time reprobated the false and malevolent assertions contained in it. As soon as it was discovered that I meant to withhold grants of land and other indulgences from any persons then about to receive such, whom I should find had been concerned in the business of the memorial, some persons getting alarmed immediately set about exculpating themselves. And it is an extraordinary fact that Mr. Solicitor Moore had the audacity to address a letter to me, in behalf of his brother (to whom I had promised a grant of land, but had cancelled it, on finding his name was affixed to the memorial), declaring that he had himself put his brother's name to the memorial without his privity or consent, at a time his brother was in the country and unacquainted with its contents."

In November, 1816, both the Moores had written to the Colonial Office complaining of their wrongs, the younger one because he had lost his land, the elder because he had lost land and salary. To the former the Colonial Office replied that the Governor had been directed to issue his grant and to the latter that his salary would be paid, together with its arrears. But his conduct had not met with approval, and he was warned that if any more complaints were made of his behaviour he would be dismissed.

To Macquarie, Lord Bathurst wrote that he had not been justified in withdrawing Moore's salary, and then dealt severely with his treatment of Vale. "It was not without considerable surprise," he wrote, "that I learnt your