Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/77

 expenditure of public money was to be supervised, and he was altogether forbidden to grant land or cattle upon his own authority. But the distance from headquarters was great, the voyage often lasting more than three weeks, and on the plea of urgency instructions were constantly set aside. When Davey was recalled in 1815 at Macquarie's earnest request, and Lieutenant-Colonel Sorell succeeded him, the government of Van Diemen's Land fell into capable and trustworthy hands, and the Governor-in-Chief was relieved of a heavy and harassing responsibility. Until 1824, however, the settlement continued to be subordinate to that of New South Wales, and Macquarie relaxed his supervisory powers very little even with so capable an officer as Sorell.

In New South Wales the Governor's powers were more direct. But there was a distinction to be drawn between military and civil administration. Newcastle, for example, and Paramatta until 1814, were governed by military commandants. In the case of Newcastle, the Governor drew up a complete set of instructions which covered the whole ground of the commandant's duties and which he was obliged to obey, though of course the common law bound him also. There are no such instructions for Paramatta among the records, so that it is probable that being but a few hours' journey from Sydney, no written orders were found to be necessary. But at these military posts the whole system of administration emanated from the Governor. In the other districts, the basis of administration was the system of England supplemented and occasionally reversed by the regulations of the Governor.

However, as the responsible head of each department, his supervision and direction were constant. To the systematic and conscientious mind of Macquarie, it was necessary to attend fairly to each duty. No sooner had he taken over the Government, than he drew up the order of his working day. Each morning at ten o'clock he received the reports of civil officers, and of the military officers at eleven, and "gentlemen on business or visits of ceremony" between twelve and two. All applications for land, stock, or other indulgences had to be