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[Page 5]
"guilty or not of the charges brought against him, he was not amenable to a court of your convening for his conduct. Such proceeding leaves room to suppose that conscience had something to do in the case.
The popular voice concerning the bills given by you on the treasury being insoluable, at length you issued orders that grain would be received into His Majesty's Stores in exchange for the cattle belonging to Government. This was an artful cunning scheme towards supporting and strengthening your authority. The stores were in want of grain; the settlers had it to dispose of; they were in want of cattle; and you took the advantage.* Firstly by making it appear you were ready to supply their wants, by which you would gain their affection. Secondly, that it would remove doubts concerning your bills on the treasury being good, by not being inclinable to give any. It having been previously reported that it was Governor Bligh's intention to distribute cattle among the settlers this has caused them not to make the least enquiry whether the barter is legal or not. In short, those whom I have conversed with on the nature of the business, had not imbibed the least idea of the illegality; but considered themselves by having made good the payment, they were secured to them by law, and that it would be a robbery for Government to take them back of him. But though the greater part of the people may be free from designed guilt, yet all are more or less culpable according to their rate of understanding and situation in life. For if they disputed your bills being good, they ought equally to have extended the same opinion to this sort of traffic. You are not justifiable in the number of bullocks you have constantly killed for to supply the public stores; this is done to feast the soldiers and others, to keep them true to your intent, at the expence of Government. His lavishly wasting what all Governors have hitherto been desirous to preserve and propagate. It is highly detrimental to the interest of the Colony at a future period. If a preference in England is given to tilling the ground with oxen for a certain time before they are fattened for the market, a greater preference for such oeconomy ought to be expected here. The expences of evacuating Norfolk Island, you aim at defraying by an equivalent in the return of timber. You are shewing how much the expences of the establishment may be reduced - (but which will be found hereafter you have increased.) Though you may flatter yourself as being a favorable circumstance in your conduct, yet it will neither prove you innocent nor free you from suspicion.
If you have no other charges against the Governor, and better founded than those which have been circulated, though numerous, your cause is very weak: they are rather the frailties of human nature than crimes cognizable by the law. But why was not his conduct represented to the power to which he is amenable. Did you think the country would be totally ruined by the length of time that would elapse before an answer could be received; and that it was a duty incumbent upon you to interfere? - or were you"
* The worst of the cattle have been thus disposed with. An honor on the wisdom of a usurped Government. Is it consistent with Government to pursue the artifices of a cunning Lackey?