104 A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



was the general custom for one publican to offer himself as 

 security for another. 1 



In 1820 there was a complete revolution. For some time 

 Hannibal Macarthur and Judge-Advocate Wylde had been 

 urging Macquarie to revert to the English system, and relegate 

 the granting of licenses to the magistrates altogether. One 

 abuse on which they laid great stress was the frequency with 

 which retail shop-keepers and bakers were licensed to sell 

 spirits, thus giving the greatest encouragement to their 

 customers to stay in the shop drinking.- Macquarie was 

 ready to meet their wishes, and when the time drew near at 

 which the licenses would be renewed, Wylde wrote a letter of 

 reminder. So far, the concession proposed was " to leave to the 

 magistrates convened for that purpose the discretion at least 

 of recommending to your Excellency in the first instance such 

 persons as would seem to them in full Bench most fit in respect 

 of general character or otherwise to obtain such indulgence 

 even if the grant itself of the license, as in England, should not 

 yet be wholly left with the Bench ". 3 The Governor replied 

 that he intended to follow the old custom for one year more. 

 His reason was that he intended greatly to reduce the number 

 of licenses. Then having, as it were, put everything in order, 

 he would " gladly leave the matter in thg hands of the magis- 

 trates ". 4 



Shortly afterwards a difficulty arose through the decision of 

 the chaplain at Sydney not to sign any of the memorials " on 

 grounds not exactly relevant to the general competency of those 

 persons to keep respectable houses of entertainment ". 5 The 

 Governor made up his mind to cut the knot by referring " the 

 several petitions to the knowledge and discretion of the Bench 

 of Magistrates, only desiring that the whole numbers to be 

 granted . . . shall not on any account exceed the number 



1 Evidence of Assistant Superintendent of Police, Appendix, Bigge's Reports. 

 R.O., MS. 



a They seemed to think that the magistrates could put an end to this and 

 that the Governor could not. 



3 Wylde to Macquarie, rst January, 1820, in Appendix, Bigge's Report. 

 R.O., MS. 



4 Macquarie's reply, 22nd January, 1820. See above. 



'Campbell (Governor's Secretary) to Wentworth, nth February, 1820, Ap- 

 pendix to Bigge's Reports. R.O., MS. 



