Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/26

 career; 10 PHILLIP AND BOSS. 1791 Phillip wrote respectfully, but his words were neverthe- A protest j^gg ^ protest against Grenville's reluctance to accept his statements. If the Minister, when he wrote his despatch, entertained the slightest doubt as to the accuracy or just- ness of Phillip's version of the conduct of Ross and Camp- bell, it must have been dissipated by the light that was thrown on the subject when the detachment returned to Phmip^i England. If anyone was distrusted after this, it was not Phillip. He continued to enjoy the entire confidence of the British Grovemment, and when at last he was compelled to retire from his post his resignation was accepted with unfeigned regret.* ^o«'«- Ross's career in New South Wales closed in a very different manner. The reports which reached England early in 1789 of ''discontents" among the marine officers led to the recall of the detachment, which was replaced by the New South Wales Corps, raised in England by Major Grose. Ross, after eighteen months' service in Norfolk Island as Lieutenant- Governor, left for England with the greater part of the force in the Gorgon, on the 18th December, 1791. It does not appear that he obtained, on his return, promotion or any other mark of confidence on the part of the Govern- ment. On the other hand, there is evidence that his conduct towards Captain Meredith was highly disapproved of. One of the earliest troubles connected with the military Arrert of aroso out of the extraordinary step taken by Ross in ofco^*" March, 1788, in placing under arrest the members of a Court-martialf for refusing to alter a sentence which it had passed on Joseph Hunt, a private of marines, accused of striking a comrade. The Court found that the charge was proved, and sentenced the prisoner ''either to ask public pardon before the battalion of William Dempsey, the soldier whom he struck and injured, or to receive one hundred lashes t Captain Tench (President), Lieutenant Kellow, Lieutenant Barej, Lieu- tenant Foulden, LiiButenant Timins. — See Vol. i, p. 294.
 * HiBtorical Becords, toI. i, part 2, p. 625.