222 A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



not of sufficient weight to justify him in allowing the meeting 

 to take place. Simeon Lord was the only magistrate who had 

 signed the requisition, and of the eight others five had been 

 convicts. An attempt was made to secure the support of 

 " more considerable persons," but without success, and no meet- 

 ings were held. The purpose of the meeting as described in 

 the first requisition was "to inquire into the circumstances 

 which had taken place in the Law Courts". In the second it 

 was more obscure, for the meeting was "to inquire into the 

 Judicial, Commercial and Agricultural state of the Colony". 

 Meanwhile a very extraordinary correspondence took place 

 between Macquarie and Jeffery Bent. It was commenced by 

 the former on the 2pth May, ten days after his return to head- 

 quarters. He had been surprised at not receiving a personal 

 communication from Bent, but had learned of the differences 

 which had arisen, and of the closing of the court, from the other 

 members. As a Civil Court had not sat for ten months l " the 

 security of persons and property, and the best interests of the 

 Colony " both internal and external, were being seriously affected. 

 These matters had apparently escaped his attention while he 

 had allowed " points of minor importance " to frustrate the great 

 design " for which," added Macquarie, in a sentence admirably 

 suited to inflame the temper of the judge, " I had assembled 

 the Supreme Court ". 



" I cannot," he proceeded, a forbear to express to you that 

 I feel much surprise, mingled with sentiments of regret " (a 

 constant combination of sensations in Macquarie), " that you 

 have not made me as Governor of this Territory any official or 

 other communication on this very important occasion, the 

 publicity of which could leave no doubt of its existence. If 

 official duty had not imperiously demanded a prompt communi- 

 cation, I should have been disposed to expect it even as a point 

 of courtesy ... in our relative situation in this country." He 

 felt bitter chagrin that he had himself to open a correspondence 

 which he had hoped would "long ere this have commenced on 

 your part, as well from a sense of personal respect as from the 

 more distinct feeling of its being a duty incumbent on the 



1 .., since the publication of the new charter. 



