12 A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



grain, and to allow him stock on easy terms. By Macquarie's 

 time the period within which the settler remained "on the 

 store," 1 which had been left to the Governor's discretion in 

 Hunter's instructions in 1794, had been generally accepted as 

 eighteen months. 



One reservation and one restriction were imposed. The 

 Government reserved for itself timber suitable for naval pur- 

 poses on all land granted by the Crown, and made the grants 

 to ex-convicts conditional on residence by the grantee. 2 But 

 to give or to withhold 'lay wholly in the Governor's discretion. 

 The ostensible claim to a grant was good behaviour during 

 servitude, but the standard of conduct might well vary as men 

 of different character succeeded one another in the seat of 

 patronage. 



Though these convict farmers were intended to form the 

 motive power of agricultural progress, Phillip was directed in 

 his instructions to report on the best means of settling mili- 

 tary and other subjects on the land. Finding convict labour 

 of a low standard, and convict settlers lacking in energy, Phillip 

 strongly recommended the emigration of trained agriculturists. 3 

 The Secretary of State disregarded this advice and began by 

 authorising him to make grants to the non-commissioned 

 officers and men of the garrison and later to the officers and 

 civil staff. Finally the Governor was permitted to make 

 grants to any free settler. The instructions laid down for 

 Governor Hunter in 1794 were still in force in 1810. Any 

 person applying for a grant might receive from the Governor 

 land not more than a hundred acres above the amount granted 

 to an emancipist and with similar freedom from taxes for ten 

 years. 4 After that a quit-rent of one shilling for each fifty 

 acres was to be paid. Under special circumstances, a full ac- 

 count of which had to be transmitted to the Secretary of State, 

 grants of larger area might be made to free settlers or emanci- 

 pists. 5 The former had to pay registration and surveying fees 



1 Colonial term for receiving rations from Government. 



* See H.R., VII., p. 133, etc., par. g. Instructions to Macquarie, gth May, 

 1809. 



3 See above, p. 5. 



4 See Instructions to Macquarie, par. 12. 



* Ibid., par. 13. 



