90 A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



fact the inducement to this kind of traffic was far too great to> 

 be overcome by the mild methods of Macquarie's Order. 



Lord Castlereagh's second proposal referred to the custom 

 already in force of allowing certain persons only to purchase 

 spirit in wholesale quantities. Their numbers were not so small 

 as to make the trade a close monopoly, though small enough to 

 allow the Governor to control its distribution. A few months 

 after his arrival, however, Macquarie adopted a course which not 

 only created a monopoly but closed the Colony to free importa- 

 tion for some years. 



He found that there was great need for improved hospital 

 accommodation in Sydney. The building in use was little better 

 than a ruined shed, and yet the Government had to care for all 

 the sick convicts and many amongst the poorer class of settlers. 

 Macquarie was reluctant to place so heavy a charge as the 

 building of a hospital on the revenue at this early period of his 

 governorship and listened willingly to any alternative proposal. 

 He accepted the one put before him by Simeon Lord, D'Arcy 

 Wentworth and Garnham Blaxcell. The two first were high in 

 his favour and had just been appointed on the Commission of 

 the Peace. Blaxcell was a typical colonial adventurer. He 

 had held many posts under the Government, knew the settle- 

 ment from one end to the other, and had had a hand in every 

 kind of colonial enterprise. 



These three offered to build a hospital within three years 

 on a plan approved by the Governor, receiving in return the 

 sole right of importing liquor into the Colony for general con- 

 sumption. The amount fixed upon was 15,000 gallons a year, 

 and this of course was exclusive of the supplies imported for 

 the garrison and for the private use of the civil and military 

 staff. The terms were accepted. The contract was signed on 

 the 6th November, 1810, and came into force at the beginning 

 of 1811. Macquarie had not referred to the project in his 

 despatch of the 27th November, 1810, and the Colonial Office 

 heard of it for the first time in 1812 when his despatch of i8th 

 October, 1811, reached England. 



This long interval was productive of difficulty. Early in 

 1810 Macquarie had strongly recommended the opening of the 

 ports, saying " it would be good and sound policy to sanction 



