Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/149

 CROWN LANDS TTNDBR PHILLIP. 121 not been publicly exbibited, for one of their number, Judge- ^'^^ Advocate Collins, quotes them in his book. Captain Hill and the other officers ought to have been aware, from their military experience, that when a servant of the Crown receives written instructions, whether they are based upon a mean or a liberal policy, no course is open to him but to obey them. Phillip was not responsible for the policy that had been decided upon by the British Government; his function was to carry it into effect according to his instruc- tions. Evidently, however, he was credited with a desire to keep from the marine officers what was regarded as a right. It may have been thought that he was taking this means of showing his disapproval of the obstructive conduct pwnip which some of them had pursued. If so, the suspicion was blamed, unfounded. The provisions as to land grants contained in the Additional Instructions were not made on Phillip's recommendation; he knew nothing about the conditions until he received the Additional Instructions, with orders for his '^ exact compliance " therewith. The object the British Government had in view in framing the Additional Instructions was to promote the settlement of the land. Whether any of the non-commissioned officers and men would like to remain in the colony when the three years' term of service had expired was not known to the Government at the time, but there was every reason to suppose that the officers, or the majority of them, intended to return to England as soon as they were relieved ; and as grants of land were not offered as rewards, but with the An object of inducing persons to settle in the colony, the cir- tS^Se™ cumstance that grants to officers were not provided for in the Additional Instructions should excite no surprise. The Government did not act on mere supposition. In October, 1788, the commanding officer. Major Ross, trans- mitted to the Admiralty replies from the marine officers, who had been requested to state whether they desired to return at the end of the three years for which they had engaged.