178 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



the Civil Government are to look to him as their immediate head ; 

 all appointments where the salary does not exceed 100 per annum 

 are vested in him, but beyond that amount they must be reported 

 for the approval of the Governor at Sydney ; he may suspend any 

 Government officer appointed in the colony, but not such as hold 

 appointments direct from the Crown ; in all cases where the pre- 

 servation of peace is concerned he may call for the assistance of 

 the officer in charge of Her Majesty's troops, but he must carefully 

 avoid any interference in military matters, and have no control 

 whatever over expenses defrayed out of the military chest ; in the 

 case of assigned servants, he is specially prohibited from withdrawing 

 convicts from the service of any individual without the express 

 order of the Governor ; he may not exercise the prerogative of the 

 Crown in pardoning offenders or remitting punishment, but in all 

 applications of such remission the appeal should come through him, 

 and be supported by his opinion and that of the presiding judge or 

 magistrate ; finally, his attention was specially invited to the whole 

 question of the treatment of the aborigines, and for his information 

 and guidance in this very important duty he was furnished with a 

 copy of all Government orders on the subject, and of the instruc- 

 tions issued to the Chief Protector of the aborigines and the 

 Commissioner of Crown lands. 



The humanitarian instinct was very strong under the regime of 

 Lord Glenelg, and the regulations in force, though unhappily falling 

 short of their intentions, were conceived in a very philanthropic 

 spirit. 



In laying down these paternal regulations for the good govern- 

 ment of the handful of adventurers who had come to stay, the 

 authorities in Downing Street had little anticipation of the rapidity 

 with which the community would outgrow them, and how soon, 

 with swelling numbers and increasing wealth, they would resent 

 being the dependents of a dependency, but would insist on the 

 privileges enjoyed to-day, the right to make their own laws and 

 spend their own revenue, without reference to any Government 

 but the one elected from amongst themselves. 



