Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/168

 their successors afterwards, knew the dependence of the Governor upon their aid, and made their power felt. As the extent to which the marines obstructed Phillip has been often lost sight of, although it was significant and oppressive, it is necessary to record it here in order to show that the New South Wales Corps, in some of its misdoings, only followed the evil example set by the officer who had commanded the marines.

The marines who accompanied Phillip in 1787 were engaged for a period of three years. Their conduct was in various respects ill-calculated to make the Governor desirous to retain them, if they had been willing to remain. They thwarted him on the vital point of administering the law. The principal officer was Major Robert Ross (who was also Lt.-Governor); Meredith and Tench were Captain Lieutenants; and George Johnston and several others were First Lieutenants. Ross wrote complaining letters at an early date to Sir Evan Nepean: (10th July 1788) "Never was a set of people so much upon the parish as this garrison is;" he had to apply, not to the Commissary, but to the Governor, for "a single nail:" "This country will never answer to settle in;" (if ever able) "to maintain the people sent here it cannot be less than probably a hundred years hence." (16th Nov. 1788) "In the whole world there is not a worse country than what we have yet seen of this." (If the Secretary of State should send more people) "I do not scruple to say that he will entail misery on all." Everybody in the settlement wished to leave it, according to Ross.

His foolish prophecies might be forgiven, but insubordinate intrigues of a Lt.-Governor were intolerable. His corps furnished the majority of the members of the Judicial Court (for Naval officers were few in number), and the Governor's dependence on the court was made an engine to coerce him.

In May Phillip wrote that the officers disliked controlling the convicts except when "employed for their own particular service;" not having anticipated it, they thought it a hardship to sit as members of a criminal court." Another grievance was the absence of power in the Governor to "immediately grant lands" to the officers.