Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/337

 mmBB. GBOBIS. 283^ desfreJ to prevent Jolmson from efltablifiliiiig a proprietary" ^'^ claim to the larger area. His precautions were, however, . unnecessary; the land was set apart for the maintenance of trustee; a minister, not as the property of an individual, and what- ever advantage the Chaplain might have derived from it during his enjoyment of the position, the ownership of the land would have remained with the State. The correspondence, on the part of Johnson, was con- tinued at some length. He concluded his letter of the 8th April hj informing Dundas that he had written to the Bishop of London, asking him to make application for the papers sent to the Home Office, so that his Lordship might be able to form some judgment as to whether his conduct be appeds merited the " severe treatment '' he had received, and ex- Biahop, pressing his willingness to abide by the decision at which the Secretary .of State and the Bishop might arrive. He followed this up by a letter written on the 7th August, which was sent, apparently, because he discovered that Grose had written disapproving of his action in asking to be repaid the money he had expended in building the temporary church. He mentioned in this communication that he had forwarded a full statement of the case to his "honoured friend, Mr. Wilberforce,*' and expressed regret and writes to that "differences'* had arisen, stating that, although he had made application, if it should be thought he had acted improperly, he did not desire to receive any compensation for what he had done. On the 24th November he again wrote to Dundas, repeat- ing that if it should be considered that his action in erecting a place of worship was considered in any way unnecessary or improper he would cheerfully take the burden upon offentopay himself.* It has been remarked that, although Grose in the cbuich. his correspondence with the Home Department did not hesi-' t^»te to abuse Johnsa£L^ he did not point to any specific act , ■* After Hunter's report liad- been xeoeiTed* the Home Department g»Te authority, January, 1797, for the payment of Che aooount.— Dundas to Huntei^ January, 1797.