Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/301

 verdict simply declaring Campbell to be guilty of writing the letter, and the letter to be a libel. But Marsden did not press for judgment, declaring his intention, through his solicitor, of proceeding no further in that court.

The worst feature of the affair was the report of the trial inserted in the Gazette on 1st November, 1817, which so described it as to be little short of a fresh libel upon Marsden, and implied that Campbell had been not only guiltless in fact but even in the opinion of the court.

It was so bad that even Wylde, who according to evidence given to Bigge had displayed some clear bias towards Campbell during the trial, went so far as to call upon Garling, Campbell's solicitor, for an explanation of this improper report. "Upon his suggestion that he had no knowledge of it I required him to address a letter to the printer, which he afterwards showed me, correcting the general account as well as the principles that were stated to have regulated the decision of the court. It does not appear that any such letter was inserted in the Gazette. Mr. Garling informed me that the letter had been returned from the printer, he stating that he had instructions not to insert it."

Wylde could do nothing more. He thought it inadvisable to proceed against the printer as the account was in a "leader" not a report, and he found the Governor quite unapproachable. The subject aroused in him, according to Wylde's diplomatic phrase, "such disagreeable sensations".

Marsden, dissatisfied with the criminal trial, took proceedings against Campbell in the Supreme Court, and was there awarded £200 damages. Altogether Campbell lost much of his reputation and £500 as the result of his fit of temper. No report was made by Macquarie of these transactions, but hearing of the matter indirectly, Lord Bathurst sent through the Governor a severe reprimand to Campbell and afterwards instructed