Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/308

 2U GiBX^E AND TH£ JJlKDl 17W iad apparently been unwilling or unable to bring the regu- lations as to convict labour into accord with the directions of the Home Office. A year later he received a despatch complaining of the heavy expenses which had been incurred in the colony from the Ist June to 31st August^ 1796, amount- mtdnudning ^? ^ £40,000. At this rate of expenditure the cost of main- convicts, taining the convicts in New South Wales, according to the Home Office calculations, without including that of the civil and military establishments of the colony, was ^' more than two-thirds of what they would have been kept for" in Eng- land. The main object with which the settlement had been founded — ^reUef from the large expenditure incurred in main- taining the prisoners in the English gaols — ^had, therefore, been defeated. The Duke of Portland informed Hunter that he was satis- fied the greater part of the expense to which he so strongly objected had arisen ''from not adverting to the original purpose for which this colony was established, and from the manner in which the convicts and public provisions are dis- posed of." It was pointed out that every convict supported co«t per for the benefit of individuals cost the Government £20 per ■head. , * annum, '' and consequently the allowance of thirteen con- victs to each officer is an expense of £260 per annum to Government, which is to be multiplied according to the number of persons to whom that quota of convicts is allowed." It would appear, therefore, that in addition to the two convicts allowed by the instructions from White- •convict hall the officers had still the services of eleven each, one labourera ' ^ ^ ' offlwre *° T^ore than the number given by Grose in the first instance. Hunter was strictly enjoined to reduce the number to two, and some time after receiving the despatch he issued an order to that effect. He experienced considerable difficulty, however, in carrying out the instructions of the Govern- ment, and abolishing the system which Grose on his own responsibility had established. The circumstances under which the change was made, and the consequences resulting from it, will be dealt with at a later stage.