THE EMBARRASSMENTS OF AN AUTOCRAT. 243 



merit to vindicate the measure ... I ordered him into a military 

 arrest, his commission as assistant chaplain specifically render- 

 ing him amenable to Martial Law . . . and ordered a Court- 

 Martial." According to Vale, the Governor charged him with 

 mutiny and had him marched through the town like a deserter. 1 

 Marsden attempted to dissuade Macquarie from bringing Vale 

 before a Court-Martial, and told him of Castlereagh's opinion 

 that even under staff commissioners the chaplains were not 

 amenable to military law, but Macquarie was determined and 

 himself drew up the charges. 



There were four charges, of which the first three differed 

 little from one another. Vale was accused of conduct " highly 

 subversive of all good order and discipline," of insolence, dis- 

 respect and insubordination towards the Governor and Com- 

 mander-in-Chief, of " disgraceful and ungentlemanly conduct 

 highly derogatory to his sacred character as assistant chaplain " 

 in seizing the Traveller after "his Excellency the Governor 

 and Commander-in-Chief . . . had permitted and regularly 

 sanctioned the said schooner to be entered at this port with 

 leave to land certain parts of her cargo ". Further, his action 

 "tended to bring odium and disrepute on the public measures 

 of the Governor," and Vale had acted " from seditious, un- 

 worthy and sordid motives ". The fourth charge dealt with his 

 letters to Lieutenant- Governor Molle, which were characterised 

 as seditious and insolent. The court found him not guilty of 

 the last charge, but guilty of the first, and of parts of the second 

 and third, 2 and ordered him to be " publicly and severely repri- 

 manded and admonished ". The Governor, however, directed 

 that " in consideration of his sacred character as a clergyman," 

 he would dispense with the public reprimand, and ordered Vale 

 to attend at Government House to have his sentence and the 

 order upon it read to him by the Major of Brigade, and be 

 privately admonished by his Excellency in the presence of his 

 personal military staff and the naval officer. 3 



As to Moore, " I have," wrote Macquarie, " deemed it 



1 Vale to Bathurst, 22nd March, 1816. R.O., MS. 



2 Enclosure to D. 9, 23rd March, 1816. R.O., MS. Vale was declared not 

 guilty of insolence and not guilty of disgraceful and ungentlemanly conduct. 



3 D. 9, 23rd March, 1816. R.O., MS. 



