Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/498

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MR. H. G. BENNETT, M.P., ON MACQUARIE'S GOVT.

convicts;[1] that in the hospital the grossest debauchery prevailed, and that Marsden's protests were set at nought.

Mr. Bennett himself published (1890) a letter to Lord Sidmouth, on the condition of the colonies "as set forth in the evidence" taken before the Committee in 1819. At that date Mr. Bigge had gone to Sydney as a Commissioner to inquire into the state of the colony. Mr. Bennett expected "much from his talents and integrity," but some of the existing evils were so great that "the Colonial Office should not delay a moment in correcting" them. Mr. Bigge condemned the apathy of Macquarie with regard to the Parramatta Hospital and Factory, and pointed out that while neglecting to improve them the Governor had been erecting costly stables for his own use in Sydney. Macquarie's trusted architect was a convict.

The Governor's friends were indignant with Marsden for exposing the evils prevalent at Parramatta. Mr. J. T. Campbell, the Governor's Secretary, attacked Marsden anonymously in the Sydney Gazette, of which Campbell was the official censor. Suspecting Campbell to be the libeller, Marsden caused him to be prosecuted criminally. After lengthy proceedings,[2] the Court (six military officers) found Campbell guilty of permitting the publication, which it was his duty to prevent. Campbell's position was subsequently made worse by proof that he had written the libel, and that he consented nevertheless to the publication of an Order in which the Governor was made to "assign reasons of inadvertence for an act that was afterwards proved to have been wilful."[3] Marsden's solicitor thereupon solicited a respite of judgment on the ground that

  1. ↑ A singular Order appears in the Sydney Gazette in 1814. A muster had been held. Macquarie announced that, "as it appears that a considerable number of female convicts are living in Sydney without any control of servitude, probably availing themselves of former government indulgences, but without having received tickets of leave or any other regular authority for so doing; such persons are hereby required to make proper application for that purpose, and those who produce such testimonials of their good character as may appear deserving of consideration" would receive tickets of leave.
  2. ↑ A summary will be found in Commissioner Bigge's Report on the Judicial Establishments of the Colony.
  3. ↑ Bigge.
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