Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 1]
Private
Mr. Wm Balmain Surgeon to Govr Philip 14 Sept 1798
As you may be desirous to know what superstructure has been Raisd on the Foundation laed by yourself I will observe that since the commencement of Major Grosses [Grose] misshapen Command, licentiousness & disorder have born the predominant Sway nor have the feeble efforts of his succesor been successfull in restoring men & things to that system & method which was so admirably Plannd & kept in motion by your orders & Governance. The public labor is so ill directed & applied as to incur hourly an accumulate Burthen of expence to Government which I Fear cannot long be tolerated. The public stores are deemd to maintain Persons who do not earn their bread the work that was done by one man under your orders in one day is now considerd as a hardship - to be done in 3 altho the allowance of Food is at this time half as much more as it was then. Cultivation also moves on in the same tardy Track, there has not been more than 20 acres added to the Govt Cleard Land Since your departure nor a settlement Established except one on the banks of the Hawkesbury which is the property of Private Settlers. The same unattention is paid to the Government stock which for want of care are going fast to decay & I am wary to greive you by saying that the Towns of Paramatta & Toongabbe [Toongabbie] are almost in Ruins. At the latter place there are only 400 acres in wheat this season & a very few in maize, a very heavy part of the expence of this colony is chargeable on the article of Bread alone which is purchasd from individuals on the [indecipherable] of being Raisd by Government servants. The Wheat is still at 10/ a Bushel & the maize at 5/-. The Common necessaries of Life have become so amazingly dear that an officer's Salary is not Equal to his subsistance at best this my Case. To be plain with your Excellence I cannot forbear to state that Govr Hunters indolence is beheld by every one with indignation he is the most avowd enemy I ever beheld to all manner of Trouble & [indecipherable] arises over his fortunes.