ii2 A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



in answer to his application for permission to proceed to New- 

 South Wales, that no persons are allowed to go out as free 

 settlers to that Colony, unless they can prove themselves to be 

 possessed of sufficient property to establish themselves there 

 without the assistance of Government, and who can produce 

 the most satisfactory testimonials and recommendations from- 

 persons of known respectability." l 



Free passages on convict transports were granted to suitable 

 emigrants. 



In 1813 there were twenty-nine applications for permission 

 to go to New South Wales. Ten of these were accepted, six- 

 teen refused, and 'to the remaining three no answers appear to 

 have been given. From the correspondence in this and other 

 years one or other out of four qualifications seem to have 

 always been necessary. They were (i) a capital of at least 

 4.00 ; (2) references as to character ; (3) friends or relatives 

 in the Colony who could provide the applicants with a home or 

 with employment; 2 (4) influential friends in England. There 

 was not much patronage to dispense in regard to offices in 

 New South Wales, but a gift of land was valuable, and there 

 were many applications from political allies urging the claims 

 of relations or dependents. Such men were not usually the 

 best of emigrants 3 and occasionally the Colonial Office refused 

 to pass them altogether. 4 But Macquarie had already reason 

 to complain in 1812 that it was "becoming almost a constant 

 practice for persons who wish to get rid of some troublesome 

 connections, to obtain permission from the Secretary of State's 

 Office for their being allowed to come out here ". 6 



1 See Appendix 36, C. on T., 1812. 



2 An " emancipist," e.g., wrote to his wife, " with the affection of a friend and 

 the sincerity of a husband," urging her to join him in Sydney. R.O., MS. 



3 They were often bad Government servants too. Davey, e.g., who was a 

 very expensive failure as Lieutenant- Governor of Van Diemen's Land, was forced 

 on Lord Bathurst by Lord Harrowby. See Correspondence. R.O. , MS. 



4 They refused one man who had lost all his money on the race-course and 

 whose friends wished to give him a fresh start. They also declined to assist in 

 sending out a young man whose father deplored that the Grand Jury, " out of 

 mistaken clemency," had thrown out a bill for theft against him. The father had 

 hoped that his son would have been safely transported and England well rid of 

 him. R.O., MS. 



5 D. 6, lyth November, 1812. R.O., MS. He thought too much attention 

 was paid to friends in England. " Mr. Lord," he wrote in 1813, " thinks, because 

 he happens to have a wealthy brother who is a Member of Parliament, he ought 



