122 A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



a most disastrous flood took place and overwhelmed the unfortu- 

 nate cultivators of the Hawkesbury and Nepean in ruin ; the 

 greatest distress was also experienced throughout the Colony 

 from the consequent scarcity. In February this year wheat was 

 reduced as low as seven shillings and maize to two shillings and 

 sixpence sterling in the market, as in consequence of the stores 

 not being opened the growers were compelled to sell it at this 

 low rate ; but in October in the same year the average of wheat 

 rose to twenty-five shillings and sixpence sterling per bushel and 

 maize to twenty shillings." 



This was stated before the Committee on Gaols, who asked : 



" Was that part of a general system the opening of the 

 stores at so late a period in the year. . . . ? " 



" Of late years it has been," Riley answered. 



" Can you give to the Committee any reason why such order 

 was issued ? " 



" I really cannot." 1 



Riley laid great stress on the injuries suffered by the settlers 

 from the importations of Bengal, several of which took place be- 

 tween 1812 and 1817. The injudiciousness of the Government 

 in taking such a course is obvious. The whole raison detre of 

 a fixed price was to give constant encouragement to growers and 

 to equalise the ups and downs of the market. By importing 

 from India, Macquarie made the demand quite as precarious as 

 it could have been under a competitive system, while the pro- 

 ducers gained none of the profit to be reaped from a free trade. 

 The farmers were unable to take full advantage of a scarcity, 

 and yet not allowed the compensation of a fair price in time of 

 surplus. The small settlers suffered severely in 1813 and 1814, 

 although a few wealthy men may, as Macquarie said, have been 

 lucky in extorting high prices from the Government. 



Macquarie himself was ready to admit that something further 

 in the way of encouragement was needed by the settlers. 



He thought much would be accomplished by permitting the 

 establishment of distilleries which would provide a wider market 

 for surplus grain. 2 The opposition of the Colonial Office being 



1 Examination of Riley, C. on G., 1819. Out of the seven floods on the 

 Hawkesbury between 1806 and 1820 five were in February, March or April. See 

 Appendix, Bigge's Reports. R.O., MS. 



a See above, Chapter IV. 



