Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/296

 252 GROSE AND THE LAND. 1798 LAndgnmtt tooffioen. An erroneous impression. Gnntflby Phillip and OroML Why Phillip didnotgTMt land to officers. The action of Lieutenant-Governor Grose in issuing a number of land grants to civil and military officers has been condemned by more than one writer. Because Phillip gave no land to the officers^ except small plots of garden- ground for temporary use, while Grose issued grants to all who asked for them, it has been assumed that during the latter's term of office there was a sort of land scramble, in which the Lieutenant-Governor and his friends acquired large estates. No sooner had Phillip departed, says one writer, than "those who possessed the power at once commenced to divide the spoil.^'* Statements of this kind have been made under a grave misconception. There was no such thing as a division of the '^ spoil.'' In issuing grants to officers, Grose did nothing improper. He did not even assume any responsibility ; he simply followed his instructions. As the action taken by Grose in granting land to officers has been contrasted with Phillip's omission to make grants of that kind, it may be as well to repeat here the fact pre- viously stated — that Phillip had no authority to make grants to officers.f If he had been authorised to give land to the officers, he would certainly have done so. As his despatches show, he had no objection to the officers having land ; what he declined to do was to give grants before he had received authority to issue them. If, however, he had remained in . * Bennett, HUtory of Australian DiscoTery and Colonisation, p. 172. t Ante, p. 119.