Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/282

 238 A CHANaS 07 1799*94 Peace to Captain Foveaux, occurred simultaneously. Appa- rently, Grose, who was aware two months before the erent that he would be left in charge,* had laid down in his mind the system upon which he intended to administer the gorem- ment. In all probability he had consulted his' stafF on the subject. This is the more likely, because the change of plan would necessarily throw additional work upon the militaty Attitude of officors, and work of a distasteful kind. The marine officers the militftiy. <• ■» in Ross's time refused to have anything to do with the control of the criminal population, notwithstanding Phillip's appeals for assistance ;t but Grose's innovations entailed far more trouble to the military than would have been caused by com- pliance with Phillip's simple request to the marine officers that they would keep an eye on the convicts, and commu- nicate the result of their observations. It can scarcely be doubted that a consultation of some sort took place, and that Grose was assured of the support of his officers before he ven- tured upon so radical a change in the form of government. Grose'8 Unfortunately, we are not in possession of Grose's reasons silenoe for doing away with the civil authority. They ought to have been communicated to the British Government at the earliest opportunity ', but neither in the first despatch written by Grose in his capacity of Lieutenant-Governor, nor in any other communication that has been discovered, is there a word on the subject. In his first despatch to Dundas, 9th January, 1793,t Grose reported his assumption of the government, and referred to various matters of more or less consequence ; but there is not even a hint in this communication that he had made any material change in the government. It is not to be supposed that Grose endeavoured to hide from the British Government the important change he had October. t See Vol. i, pp 108, 109, 292, 29», 814, 815, 852, 858 ; HiBtorical Beooi^ Tol. it part 2, p. 138. X HiBtorical Records, toI. ii, p. 1.
 * FhiUip's determination to return to England was known as earlj as