THE STIRRING OF POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS. 273 



verdict simply declaring Campbell to be guilty of writing the 

 letter, and the letter to be a libel. But Marsden did not press 

 for judgment, declaring his intention, through his solicitor, of 

 proceeding no further in that court. 



The worst feature of the affair was the report of the trial 

 inserted in the Gazette on ist November, 1817, which so de- 

 scribed it as to be little short of a fresh libel upon Marsden, and 

 implied that Campbell had been not only guiltless in fact but 

 even in the opinion of the court. 1 



It was so bad that even Wylde, who according to evidence 

 given to Bigge had displayed some clear bias towards Campbell 

 during the trial, 2 went so far as to call upon Garling, Campbell's 

 solicitor, for an explanation of this improper report. " Upon 

 his suggestion that he had no knowledge of it I required him to 

 address a letter to the printer, which he afterwards showed me, 

 correcting the general account as well as the principles that were 

 stated to have regulated the decision of the court. It does not 

 appear that any such letter was inserted in the Gazette. Mr. 

 Garling informed me that the letter had been returned from the 

 printer, he stating that he had instructions not to insert it." 3 



Wylde could do nothing more. He thought it inadvisable to 

 proceed against the printer as the account was in a " leader " not 

 a report, and he found the Governor quite unapproachable. 

 The subject aroused in him, according to Wylde's diplomatic 

 phrase, "such disagreeable sensations". 4 



Marsden, dissatisfied with the criminal trial, took proceedings 

 against Campbell in the Supreme Court, and was there awarded 

 200 damages. Altogether Campbell lost much of his reputa- 

 tion and 500 as the result of his fit of temper. 5 No report was 

 made by Macquarie of these transactions, but hearing of the 

 matter indirectly, Lord Bathurst sent through the Governor 

 a severe reprimand to Campbell 6 and afterwards instructed 



1 See S.G., ist November, 1817. 



2 See Bigge's Correspondence with C.O., 1823, R.O., MS. Wylde was him- 

 self apparently aware that his conduct of the case was open to objection. See his 

 long confused account in enclosure to D. above. 



3 Wylde's Evidence, Appendix to Bigge's Reports. R.O., MS. 



4 See Appendix, Bigge's Report. R.O., MS. 



8 See Campbell to Macquarie. Enclosure to D. 25, 3 ist March, 1819. 

 6 See D. 25, 1819. 



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