he information of which his excellency was in
possession respecting these settlements, from their establishments to the
moment of his quitting them, might as quickly as possible be laid before
administration.

The government of the colony now devolved, by his Majesty's letters patent
under the great seal of Great Britain, upon the lieutenant-governor.
This office was filled by the major-commandant of the New South Wales
corps, Francis Grose, esq who arrived in February last in the _Pitt_
transport. At his taking upon himself the government, on which occasion
the usual oaths were administered by the judge-advocate, he gave out the
following order, regulating the mode of carrying on the duty at Parramatta:

'All orders given by the captain who commands at Parramatta, respecting
the convicts stationed there, are to be obeyed; and all complaints or
reports that would be made to the lieutenant-governor when present, are
in his absence to be communicated to captain Foveaux, or such other
captain as may be doing duty with the detachment.'

The alteration which this order produced, consisted in substituting the
military for the civil officer. Before this period, all complaints had
been inquired into by the civil magistrate, who, in the governor's
absence from Parramatta, punished such slight offences as required
immediate cognizance, reporting to the governor from time to time
whatever he did; and all orders and directions which regarded the
convicts, and all reports which were made respecting them, went through
him.

The military power had hitherto been considered as requisite only for the
protection of the stores, and the discharge of such duties as belonged to
their profession, without having any share in the civil direction of the
colony*; but as it was provided by his Majesty's commission already
spoken of, that, in case, of the death or absence both of the governor
and lieutenant-governor of the territory, the officer next in rank on
service in the colony should take upon himself and exercise the functions
of the governor, until such time as instructions should be received from
England; under this idea, the lieutenant-governor issued the above order,
placing the captain commanding the detachment of the New South Wales
corps at Parramatta, in the direction of the civil duties of that
settlement.

[* The commanding officer of the corps or regiment serving in the
territory excepted, who held likewise the _civil_ appoint