Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/368

 ii3 gross's teeathent ^^^ «oldiers and sailors who were found straggling at night. •Grose, who was Governor at Sydney, as well as conxmander txf the Corps, went farther. He ordered that the constables were not to interfere with a soldier, '^although he should be detected in an unlawful act/^ Interpreting this Order J"«°i»ityo' strictly, a soldier might have been found robbing the fromarreit Government stores or committing a murder, but the con- stables were not to take any steps to restrain the offender; they were to ^^ endeavour to make themselves acquainted with his person,^' and then give information to the military authorities. This rule was emphasised in another Order, which directed that all complaints against soldiers were to be laid before the commanding officer of the detachment, ^' who will never suffer the soldier to be given to the custody of a convict constable/' On the other hand, any soldier, whether an officer or a private, was on his own responsibility to apprehend any convict who misbehaved. It was necessary to give the soldiers this power, of course ; and there would have been no objection to the Order had it not been accom- panied by others, which placed the soldiers beyond the reach of any authority but that of their officers. Grose's While these Orders were injurious in themselves^ ther of King. were degrading to the Lieutenant-Governor of the island, who found his position lowered and his authority contemned. The wrong was more grievous by reason of the harsh lan- guage in which the instructions were communicated. While he did not for a moment dispute Grose's right to make these extraordinary changes in the government of the island, nor forget for a moment the respect due to his official King's superior, Kiag made a vigorous protest to Dundas against Dundfts. the unjust and degrading treatment he had received.* He pointed out that Grose's order was an implied accusation of Hed«niM leniency on his part towards the convict settlers as against chMgeS!^ the soldiers. He indignantly denied the charge, pointing ' * Historioal Beoords, vol. ii, p. 169.