NEW SOUTH WALES AND PARLIAMENT. 327 



under conditions of such a peculiar nature as those obtaining in 

 New South Wales. Nor were the instruments at his command, 

 the members of the civil staff, such as would give him adequate 

 aid. Chosen for the most part by the Home Government, 

 without special reference to their suitability for the work before 

 them, they constituted a corps of officials of exceedingly meagre 

 possibilities. 



The Governor had the disadvantage also of being in no way 

 compelled to consult with any one of them or of the judicial 

 staff, and thus fell inevitably into the habit of seeking advice 

 (if he sought it at all) from those to whom he knew his views to 

 be acceptable or from whom he could easily compel acquiescence. 

 Macquarie naturally exercised the autocratic vice of favouritism, 

 and unfortunately selected his favourites rather because they 

 were personally agreeable and publicly submissive towards him- 

 self than because they displayed particular ability. Indeed the 

 man who gave him the readiest support at once presented 

 himself as the most suitable councillor. 



There was, however, more than laxity of administration at 

 fault in Macquarie's system, for in matters of principle also he 

 was apt to be uncertain. Thus his liquor policy varied between 

 two extremes, that of strictly restricting the number of houses 

 and ensuring their respectability, and, on the other hand, of 

 attempting to cure drunkenness by multiplying opportunity and 

 increasing the number of licenses. So also he wavered from 

 the principles laid down by himself for the remission of con- 

 victs' sentences, and again in permitting settlers to disregard the 

 conditions of their land grants. 



This looseness of principle was itself a natural outcome of 

 the autocratic system. It has been pointed out that Macquarie, 

 regarding himself as the supreme power in the Colony, considered 

 that he might make laws for others to obey with which he 

 himself might if need be dispense. He attempted always 

 enforce a policy of personal government, constantly dispensing 

 in individual cases with his general regulations, 

 almost a possible system with 10,000 inhabitants, but becai 

 both unjust and ineffectual when the population was dou 

 In this respect, as in many others, Macquarie was merely follow- 

 ing in the footsteps of his predecessors. Much of the criticism 



