THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEM. 49 



expenditure of public money was to be supervised, and he was 

 altogether forbidden to grant land or cattle 1 upon his own 

 authority. But the distance from headquarters was great, the 

 voyage often lasting more than three weeks, and on the plea of 

 urgency instructions were constantly set aside. When Davey 

 was recalled in 1 8 1 5 at Macquarie's earnest request, and Lieu- 

 tenant-Colonel Sorell succeeded him, the government of Van 

 Diemen's Land fell into capable and trustworthy hands, and the 

 Governor-in-Chief was relieved of a heavy and harassing re- 

 sponsibility. Until 1824, however, the settlement continued to 

 be subordinate to that of New South Wales, and Macquarie 

 relaxed his supervisory powers very little even with so capable 

 an officer as Sorell. 



In New South Wales the Governor's powers were more 

 direct. But there was a distinction to be drawn between 

 military and civil administration. Newcastle, for example, and 

 Paramatta until 1814, were governed by military command- 

 ants. In the case of Newcastle, the Governor drew up a 

 complete set of instructions which covered the whole ground 

 of the commandant's duties and which he was obliged to obey, 

 though of course the common law bound him also. There are 

 no such instructions for Paramatta among the records, so that 

 it is probable that being but a few hours' journey from Sydney, 

 no written orders were found to be necessary. But at these 

 military posts the whole system of administration emanated 

 from the Governor. In the other districts, the basis of ad- 

 ministration was the system of England supplemented and 

 occasionally reversed by the regulations of the Governor. 



However, as the responsible head of each department, his 

 supervision and direction were constant. To the systematic 

 and conscientious mind of Macquarie, it was necessary to 

 attend fairly to each duty. No sooner had he taken over the 

 Government, than he drew up the order of his working day. 

 Each morning at ten o'clock he received the reports of civil 

 officers, and of the military officers at eleven, and " gentlemen 

 on business or visits of ceremony" between twelve and two.. 

 All applications for land, stock, or other indulgences had to be 



1 i.e., from the Government herds. 

 4 



