Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/355

 under conditions of such a peculiar nature as those obtaining in New South Wales. Nor were the instruments at his command, the members of the civil staff, such as would give him adequate aid. Chosen for the most part by the Home Government, without special reference to their suitability for the work before them, they constituted a corps of officials of exceedingly meagre possibilities.

The Governor had the disadvantage also of being in no way compelled to consult with any one of them or of the judicial staff, and thus fell inevitably into the habit of seeking advice (if he sought it at all) from those to whom he knew his views to be acceptable or from whom he could easily compel acquiescence. Macquarie naturally exercised the autocratic vice of favouritism, and unfortunately selected his favourites rather because they were personally agreeable and publicly submissive towards himself than because they displayed particular ability. Indeed the man who gave him the readiest support at once presented himself as the most suitable councillor.

There was, however, more than laxity of administration at fault in Macquarie's system, for in matters of principle also he was apt to be uncertain. Thus his liquor policy varied between two extremes, that of strictly restricting the number of houses and ensuring their respectability, and, on the other hand, of attempting to cure drunkenness by multiplying opportunity and increasing the number of licenses. So also he wavered from the principles laid down by himself for the remission of convicts' sentences, and again in permitting settlers to disregard the conditions of their land grants.

This looseness of principle was itself a natural outcome of the autocratic system. It has been pointed out that Macquarie, regarding himself as the supreme power in the Colony, considered that he might make laws for others to obey with which he himself might if need be dispense. He attempted always to enforce a policy of personal government, constantly dispensing in individual cases with his general regulations. This was almost a possible system with 10,000 inhabitants, but became both unjust and ineffectual when the population was doubled. In this respect, as in many others, Macquarie was merely following in the footsteps of his predecessors. Much of the criticism