stealing or
receiving certain building materials, the property of the crown."--_True
Colonist_, Feb 26, 1835.]

SECTION XVII.

The recall of Arthur, long anticipated by his enemies, at length
arrived. Some months before, he had been informed by the secretary of
state, that "having continued him in his government for the unusual
period of twelve years, the crown intended to name his successor." On
the recommendation of Mr. Huskisson, the duration of an ordinary
government was limited to six years: special reasons withdrew Van
Diemen's Land from the operation of this rule.

The ministerial changes at the seat of empire left Arthur's influence
unimpaired. The variations of national policy rarely reached his sphere.
Unwelcome orders he managed to modify or evade. The difficult nature of
his duties, the distance of his government from supervision, and the
weakness of the free population, enabled him to assume and maintain for
many years a discretion all but unlimited. The state of the colony on
his arrival has been already noticed. The measures he adopted to coerce
and control the convict population, and to subdue the aborigines, will
be found in the second volume of this History. He repressed the outrages
of the lawless, and restored comparative tranquillity. Under his
auspices the chief town, which he found consisting of a few frail
dwellings, assumed the aspect of a commercial city. Many, he received in
chains, were established in social happiness: many immigrants, who
arrived with slender resources, had risen to opulence.

A series of forty-seven statistical tables, prepared by the colonial
secretary, his nephew, exhibit a progress then almost unexampled. In
1836, the revenue had increased from L16,866 to L106,639; the imports
from L62,000 to L583,646; the exports from L14,500 to L320,679; mills
from 5 to 47; colonial vessels from 1 to 71; churches from 4 to 18: the
population had risen from 12,000 to 40,000; and every branch of public
and private enterprise exhibited the same general aspect.

It would be absurd to ascribe to Arthur even the main credit of these
results: they were the effect of that spirit of industry which ever
characterises the native of Great Britain, and which nothing can wholly
extinguish. Nor was this prosperity without alloy. The unproductive
improvement encouraged, was sometimes unhealthy. The settlers were
deeply involved: the valuation of property was raised beyond reasonable
cal