THE EMBARRASSMENTS OF AN AUTOCRAT. 239 



fied. The pretence on the part both of Macquarie and Went- 

 worth that they had not consulted together, and that they had 

 nothing to do with the action of the toll-keepers, was stultifying. 

 It was quite unlikely that the latter would have taken up the 

 matter without some encouragement from high quarters. Bent 

 was not a frequent traveller, and as Macquarie pointed out with 

 scorn, kept no carriage, but usually rode or walked. 1 Pedestrians 

 paid no toll and equestrians only a mite of 3d. Such a loss 

 would scarcely have been sufficient to make ignorant men like 

 the turnpike-keepers enter of their own accord into conflict with 

 an officer of high judicial standing. 



The case came on before the police superintendent and was 

 heard ex-parte on the 8th September, and a fine of 403. was 

 imposed. This was the lowest penalty which the Proclamation 

 of 181 1 allowed. Needless to say, Bent did not think of paying 

 it, and Wentworth took no further steps, but simply referred 

 the conduct of the affair to the Governor. 2 



Macquarie at once published an Order in the Gazette in 

 which he referred to the recalcitrant judge, not by name, but 

 as " an officer of very high rank in the Civil Service of this 

 Colony ". 3 



The most important part of the Order ran as follows : 



" Whilst the Governor laments that any person should be 

 found in the Colony so wanting in public spirit, as to wish to 

 evade contributing his mite towards the support of so useful and 

 beneficial an establishment for the country and community at 

 large, he cannot allow any person whatever, however high his 

 rank may be, to break through or set at defiance the established 

 regulations of the Colony, and he thus publicly declares that 

 no person whatever can or shall be exempted from paying the 

 tolls in question, excepting those few already specified in the 

 Government Orders." Tne farmers of the tolls were authorised 

 "to instruct and direct their respective toll-gate keepers to 

 enforce the orders and regulations," and to use force and call the 

 police to their assistance if necessary. The magistrates were 

 enjoined to look to it that this assistance should be efficient. 



Bent of course retorted and commented at some length on 



1 D. i, 1816. K.O., MS. a Wentworth to Governor above. 



3 G.G.O., gth September, 1815. 



