Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/78

 presented in writing either as petitions or memorials before twelve o'clock every Monday. In cases of great urgency alone was any departure from these rules to be permitted.

Governor King had once issued an order that no applications were "in future to be made to the Governor on Sundays, nor will (he) be interrupted when passing through the streets or speaking to an officer". The order well illustrates the haphazard methods it sought to cure. It was not the smallest of his virtues that Macquarie accustomed the Colony to formal regularity in public business. But it was no easy task, and when he altered his hours in 1813 he concluded the order in the following terms:—

"In order to prevent frivolous and unnecessary applications in future, His Excellency desires it may be clearly and distinctly understood that having laid down the foregoing Regulations for his own government, he will not in any instance deviate from them."

By the new order, requests of a general nature were to be made on the first Monday of each month. Applications for land and cattle were to be submitted once a year only, on the first Monday in June, and petitions and memorials for pardons and other mitigations of sentences on the first Monday in December.

During the Governor's occasional absences from headquarters, the commanding officer of the garrison took his place, under the commission of Lieutenant-Governor, receiving reports and conducting the ordinary business routine of administration. He could not, however, under Macquarie's instructions, call the courts together, grant land or stock, pardons or emancipations, or undertake new expenditure. No difficulties arose under these instructions until 1821. In that year Macquarie made a tour of Van Diemen's Land, leaving Lieutenant-Governor Erskine in command at Sydney, with Major Goulburn lately arrived from England as Colonial Secretary. One day the latter called upon Mr. Justice Field and asked