Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/258

 7203 gallons of spii'itB.'' King issued a proclamation (28th May 1804) to the effect that, adopted, and atiU continue, to import and intrtHluce spirits into this colony (in defiance of His Majefit^'si iuatriictiona, my ordens conseijnent thereon, the proclamation of the Moat Noble the (iovernoriTeneral of Uw liritiBh Territories in the Kftgst Indies, and the conimuni cations mado to the Amerieau Conauls. . ) for the purpose of impoverishing the iidiabitantB, dcatroyin_Ef their health, and aol> verting the regularity necessary to be ohseri^ed for the prosperity of the colony ... on all spirits brought from the eastward of the Cape of (lood Hope without my permission. ., there shall be pnitl an additional duty of €5 for every ICKl gallons." Moreover, spirits brought without permission were not to be sold by the importer for more than " six shillings per gallon, including duty of two shillings," with other deductions ad rahrem and for wliarfage. The vessel^ it waB hoped, would go to sea after landing her dry goods rather than undergo such charges. But the master pleaded that she w^as *'toa rotten." The Governor ordered a survey, the plea was coniu'med, and the consignees tlms forced one cargo tipon the } colony, the spirits being sold under the ordinary conditions- The cases of the Mtfrth' and the E(fifij' demand notice- On the 19th Oct. 1804, the Mtfiiia, having cleared from Bengal for the north-west coast of America, arrived in Sydney, for which place her whole cargo appeared to have V)eeij t^elected. Hlie was consigned to Campbell, and had 7500 gallons of spirits on board. King forbade the landing of the spirits, and as the master was insolent to the guard, a General Order was issued to prevent the master or any one on Ijoard from landing without written permission, The naval ollii-er was commanded by the General Order to order the Mipiie to leave *' before to-morrow evening, and not to return here again on any pretence w Imtever.*' A copy of the order was sent to the CTOvernor-General in India- At this time settlements had been formed at Hobart Town and at the Tamar in Van Dienien's Land, King had instructed the Lt.-Goveninis at Norfolk Island, at Hobart Town, and at Port Dah^ymple, to carry out vigorously at those places the restrictions existing at Sydney with regard to spirit traffic. But Collins at Hobart Town was over- reached hy the master of the Mi/rtir, and purchased some of the spirits carried to the Derwent. i I
 * in conaequeuce of the illicit aii<l iinpmper oieans that have lieen