256 



A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



point of this nature I of course deferred to the opinion of those 

 who are the law servants of Crown, but finding their opinion 

 to be that the trial of Mr. Vale by Court-Martial upon the 

 charges preferred against him was altogether contrary to law, 

 it was impossible for me not to pronounce your conduct . . .. 

 illegal. I am sure you cannot but admit that the presumable 

 guilt of any individual affords no justification for adopting 

 towards him any course of proceeding other than what the law 

 prescribes ; and I feel confident that you will allow also that 

 violations of the laws, whatever be their object, can never add 

 strength to a Government or increase its influence." l All Mac- 

 quarie could reply was that " it having been the unceasing study 

 of a long life, spent in the service of my country in every quarter 

 of the globe, to conform myself in every particular to its 

 establishments, founded as they are in wisdom and matured by 

 the experience of ages, I am unable to express the mortification 

 I suffer at this time, from finding myself liable to be shaken in 

 the good opinion of my Sovereign, by the imputation of a 

 conduct which I reprobate on every ground of right and of 

 political expediency "? 



Macquarie's resignation was not immediately accepted, nor 

 was the letter in which he tendered the resignation answered 

 until another year had passed. The Secretary of State appar- 

 ently expected that it would be withdrawn, and thought it the 

 result of merely temporary irritation. That this was not the 

 case appeared later, and the resignation was finally accepted and 

 Macquarie's successor appointed in i82O. 3 



It is thus clear that while Macquarie brought about Bent's 

 dismissal, Bent succeeded in revenging himself to a considerable 

 extent. Even after Vale had left the Colony, Bent continued 

 to harass the Governor in many small ways. Finally, at the 

 beginning of December, 1816, he attempted to reopen the 

 Supreme Court and ordered Riley and Broughton to attend at 

 the court-house for that purpose. Riley was the only one of 

 the two in Sydney, and he did not attend. To prevent Bent 

 from taking any steps to enforce his attendance, Macquarie 



1 D. 14, z6th July, 1818. R.O., MS. 

 a D. i, ist March, 1819. R.O., MS. 

 D., isth July, 18^0. R.O., MS. 



