THE EXECUTIVE AND THE JUDICIARY. 229 



more calculated to produce such a calamity than an appearance 

 of misunderstanding between the Governor and yourself, or a 

 suspicion that you were disposed to question or disobey his 

 orders." 



In fine, the Secretary of State preached endurance, patience 

 and submission on the part of all officials, and expected peace 

 to be maintained under the contradictory and incomprehensible 

 system of civil Government by military officers. 1 



Soon after this letter was despatched arrived the reports of 

 the emancipist attorney's difficulty. The recall of the Bents 

 was at once decided upon, and by the end of January, 1816, 

 John Wylde and Barron Field were appointed respectively 

 Judge- Advocate and Chief Judge of the Supreme Court. 2 

 Wylde had started as a solicitor and been called to the Bar in 

 1805, but Field, although he had been entered at the Inner 

 Temple in 1809, had not been called until 1814. In character 

 Wylde was a typical respectable attorney with plenty of public 

 spirit and a strong wish to conciliate all parties. 3 His most 

 noticeable fault was inability to write plain, straightforward 

 English, or indeed to speak it. 4 Field, on the other hand, was 

 a lawyer with a love for the humanities, a considerable amount 

 of youthful impetuosity, a sense of humour and a hot temper. 5 



The Secretary of State had for some time thought that this 

 step would prove necessary, and though he had little sympathy 

 with Jeffery Bent, he intended to offer Ellis Bent a post else- 

 where. 6 There was no hope of reconciliation between the Bents 

 and Macquarie, and there was no alternative but to recall them. 



1 Bathurst to Bent, nth December, 1815. C.O., MS. 



2 The Colonial Office found it difficult to procure suitable men for these 

 appointments, and had more than one refusal. The commissions of Wylde and 

 Field are dated ist and 25th May, 1816. See C.O., MS., 1816. 



3 Wylde's father, who was a solicitor, went out with him to New South 

 Wales and became Clerk of the Peace, and practised in the courts. Wylde's 

 younger brother, who spelt his name Wilde, became Lord Chancellor of England 

 with the title of Lord Truro. He also entered the legal profession as a solicitor. 



4 See Bigge's Correspondence with C.O., 1822 to 1823. R.O., MS. Wylde's 

 confused speech was an especially great drawback owing to the peculiar constitu- 

 tion ot the Criminal Court. His expositions of the law were very difficult to follow. 



5 Field was a schoolfellow and friend of Charles Lamb. Before he went to 

 New South Wales he published an edition of Blackstone and occupied himself in 

 journalistic work. He wrote for the Reflector and was dramatic critic on The 



Times. 



6 Letter to R. Bent, 3151 January, 1816. C.O., MS. He was the father of 

 the judges. 



