Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/367

 OP KING. 311 Court of Inquiry had taken offence because, as it seemed ^^^ to them, an unnecessary reflection had been cast upon the Corps. He did his best to convince Grose that he had dis- armed the detachment with extreme reluctance and under the pressure of necessity, and that he had no desire to cast any reflection upon those who were orderly and well disposed. Grose's General Order* for the future government of the General island, which accompanied his letter of the 25th February, oroae. 1794, was a most remarkable document. It practically placed the soldier beyond the reach of the established Court sowior of Justice. In case any assault, however aggravated, was convict committed by a convict or expiree upon a member of the Corps, the General Order directed the accused ^'imme- diately to be given up to commanding officer," who was empowered to order him to be flogged by the drummers of the detachment — even though he had received the greatest provocation or had acted in self-defence. The Order, it will be observed, was to apply not only to convicts but to those who, having completed their period of transportation, were free men. Similarly, the soldier was, if charged with any irregularities, to be called before his officers, who would adjudicate, and whose decision was to have the effect of a verdict of the Bench of Magistrates. On no account what- ever was a convict constable to interfere with a soldier, even though engaged in the commission of a crime. The system thus introduced indicates how determined Grose was that military forms and procedure should dominate the settle- Ascendancy ment at Norfolk Island, as they did at Sydney. miutary. The clause which directed that convict constables (i.e., men who had been chosen as constables after they had served their sentences, or had been emancipated) were not on any pretence to stop or seize a soldier, recalls the dispute between Phillip and Ross as to the powers of the convict night- watch.t Phillip, for the sake of peace and quietness, a historic withdrew a regulation which empowered the watch to detain
 * -' Ordera of
 * Historical Beoorcb, vol. ii, p. 130, + See Vol. i, pp. 113, 118.