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[Page 3]
it was expected that there would be a great change, and that the settlers would have an opportunity of getting forward.
He immediately easied the Government of some burthens, by putting many people of the public stores, and taking prisoners away from there that had no right for such indulgences, which was what ought to have been done long before. He next lowered the price of grain, and fresh pork; but by doing this he did the colony hurt. Wheat had been received into the Stores at ten shillings per bushel, Maize at five shillings per bushel, fresh pork at one shilling per pound. Wheat he lowered to 8s, maize to 4s per bushel, fresh pork to 9d per pound, at which price pork seemed to be plentiful. Soon after he lowered it to 6d per pound.
The stores, I understand (being gone to sea in the Lady Nelson) were late in the season before they were opened for the reception of grain, whereby a great quantity was destroyed by people not having places to put it in, and at the Hawkesbury a deal carried away by floods. The effects of these measures were soon felt, for grain in the winter was very scarce, and breeding of pigs declined in proportion. By this time the monopolies above