160 A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



of those who might plunder her), 1 some of whom thought proper 

 to go into the town against all the efforts used by the officers 

 and myself to prevent them ; I represented this to Mr. Campbell, 

 showed him the men walking away, asked what I was to do ? 

 how I could act ? was in a manner laughed at by him ; during 

 that day I was employed in looking after magistrates, sending 

 constables after my people ; still unable to clear my ship for 

 sea I threatened again to write the Governor on the subject. 

 The next day I received information that my clearance was made 

 out, on getting which I had to pay 20 i6s. without any reason 

 given why, nor could I gain any information on the subject, nor 

 even a receipt for the money. 2 The departments of Govern- 

 ment receive with pleasure the penalties and forfeitures on the 

 ship and crew, without a wish or effort to assist the captain in 

 the execution of his duty, though robberies of every description 

 are practised to (and) from his ship." 3 



To supply the Colony with a sound currency had been one 

 of the problems before each Governor since the time of its found- 

 ation. In the very early days there had been no metal coinage 

 at all. Two legitimate substitutes the Government store re- 

 ceipts and bills on the Treasury and the promissory notes of 

 individuals, the so-called " Colonial Currency," had competed at 

 a considerable disadvantage with the rum-currency. The former 

 the Government bills were the more stable of the two, for 

 the colonial currency was subject to continual fluctuations. At- 

 tempts were several times made by colonists to regulate the value 

 of these notes by combining among themselves to raise or lower 

 their exchange against the Government issues. To prevent this 

 Macquarie forbade these combinations, and also the issue of 

 promissory notes with the exchange value named upon them. 

 This was in 1813, when a supply of silver dollars had been re- 

 ceived from India, and from that time it was declared that only 

 those notes which were payable on sight in sterling money were 

 to be legal tender. To keep the silver coins in the country 



1 According to Piper, the Naval Officer, no ship ever had been robbed or in 

 any way injured during these occasions. Evidence, Appendix, Bigge's Reports. 

 R.O., MS. 



2 These were fees on clearance and on certificates from the Secretary's office 

 after the muster had been held. 



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



