THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT GOVERNMENT 177 



was again urged to appoint a resident Lieutenant-Governor who 

 should have the control of these subordinate officials, who were so 

 far removed from the principal seat of Government. Bourke pre- 

 dicted that with the rapid increase of population, and the spread of 

 pastoral settlement over so large an area of country, the number of 

 these functionaries would have to be increased, and that under 

 existing circumstances no proper supervision could be maintained 

 from Sydney. In acknowledging this despatch to Bourke's suc- 

 cessor, Sir George Gipps, on 3rd April, 1838, Lord Glenelg confirms 

 the appointments of Captain Fyans and the additional Puisne 

 Judge to be utilised for Port Phillip, and promises to take the 

 earliest opportunity of nominating a superintendent for the approval 

 of Her Majesty. Either the selection proved more difficult than 

 was anticipated, or the Cabinet had weightier matters in hand, for 

 it was not until December that the appointment was offered to and 

 accepted by Mr. Charles Joseph Latrobe. His official appointment 

 was not actually made until the 4th of February, 1839, and he was 

 directed to proceed in the first place to Sydney, an allowance of 400 

 for his passage and outfit being granted by the Treasury. He reached 

 Sydney on the 26th of July, and having remained about two months 

 with Sir George Gipps to familiarise himself with the method of 

 conducting colonial affairs, sailed for Melbourne in the steamer 

 Pyramus, and landed in his new dominion on the 30th of September. 



His commission " under the Great Seal of the territory of New 

 South Wales," handed to him in a letter from Mr. E. Deas Thom- 

 son, the Colonial Secretary in Sydney, covered many pages of 

 minute instructions as to his duties and responsibilities. 



His district was defined as " that part of the territory of New 

 South Wales which lies to the south of the 36th degree of south 

 latitude, and between the 141st and 146th degrees of east longi- 

 tude ". 



Within those limits he was to exercise the powers of a Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, and to stand in the same position in respect to 

 the Governor of New South Wales as that functionary occupied in 

 respect to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. Voluminous 

 directions as to the organisation and control of minor departments 



are given, and amongst other things it is provided that all officers of 

 VOL. i. 12 



