Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/282

 restored to credit as to become a competent witness. He could hardly deny that evidence of such a kind was admis- sible, althoujy;h the officers had excluded it ; but added that *vif called upon to sit in a court-martial, he would incline to administer the oath to such a witness, receiving bis testimony with caution, aod if opposed by contrary evidence, perhaps with a coJisiderable degi'ee of diffidence/* (It is especially to be rememl>ered that Sir C. Morgan, in his letter to King, saw nothing to condemn in the act of the comt-martial in arresting the Judge -Advocate of the court during the triaL It will be seen that, in 1B08, for a much kss bold procedure, Governor Bligh summoned the whole of the officers of a court-martial before him for /* certain crimes.") Lord Hobart was still less inclined to console the Governor struggling against wrong-doers. He liexpressed (80th Nov. 180B) his ** very great satisfaction" fat the general progress of the colony, "At the same time I mvtst not conceal from you that the gratification I ■ experience from this satiafactory W of the situation of the colony is in a fgreat degree aUoyed by the lUifortiwiiae (Uffereiices which iiave sa long "aubsisted between you and the military officers of the colony, and which I mn sorry to obaerv^e have latterly extended to the Commander of H.M.S. King's application for permission to return to Europe would be complied with as soon as a *' person Cijmpetent to exercise the duties'' of Governor '* free from the operation of the s]iirit of party" coukl be found. The allusion to H,iLB. Glut ton was cruelly unjust, tier commander had joined in IBDB in aspersing King to the Home Government, but Lord Hubart should himself have under- gone persecution rather than use so vile an instrument in rebuldng Kijig. H.M.8, Glfiiton, with 270 male and 130 female convicts, arrived in Sydney in March 180B, when the courts-martial were beliaving as already described. On board. Captain Colnett (senior officer to the Governor in the navy) had two lieutenants and the commanding officer of marines under arrest on his arrival. There were fgome (juarrels on board at Sydney, where many of the convicts were allowed to retoain to assist in unloading and reloading the ship. A soldier, the sun of Sergeant Whittle of the New South Wales Corps, was struck by an officer of I < I J