I I I li(luors, ami that several oflfieera have etiteretl intn the most miv^arrantahle traffic with settlers and convicts for the sale thereof, wiiereby they have been induced to barter away their breetlin^-stoek as well as mortguge their growing crops for the said spirits, to their particular detriment and con- sequent misery of their fiimilie>4, as well aw injury to Hia Majeaty'a service and the public interest at large in the colonies, you are therefore strictly commanded to ortler and tlirecl I hut no spirits be landed from any vessel comintt to Port Jackson without your consent for the specitit^ quantity ta be landed being previously ohtained for that purpose by a written permit, and in case you should judge it iiecewsary to allow of that indulgence to the officers and deserving settlers for their domestic purposes alone, you are to take care that this indulgence be so regulated Ivy you as to preclude the possibility of its bcconung an object of tratbc. Which orders you are t-o communicate to all captains and masters of ship inmicdiately aft^r their arrival, and ti> proliihit by the moat effectual means any ofhcers from disgracing His Majesty s service by entering into any iratiic whereby that respect due to His Majesty's cxjmraissiou may be ealled in question." E%'ery officer was to comply ** under jiain of His Majesty's highest displeasure." Hunter had neither the courage to carry otit the instruc- tions himself at once, nor tlie good sense to depart bo that King might put them hi force. The evils they were to counteract continued; more shipments of spirits were looked for, and King after several month e5, while still ignorant of the date at which Hunter would leave, obtained Hunter's consent to communicate the instructions (ISfch Sept.) to Colonel Paterson and other civil and military ofticers. In asking Paterson to convene a meeting of them to hear the new order, King said that a due regard to the character of an officer" prevented him from making the order puhlic at once, but that in future any offender would
- be brought to a general court-martial, and such other
notice taken as the oifence may deserve." Paterson was requested to inform King as soon as he had made known the order, which, though not made public for the reason stated, w^as ** to be considered as a public order/' The traffickers were thunderstruck, but could neither oppose the order nor deny that it was made known to them in a considerate manner. Eegulations were framed to prevent ships from landing any goods without permission. The master was to receive a guard on board, to bind liimself under a penalty of £200 to break no bulk ami land no liquor without a written permit from the Governor. A particular wharf ^^'fe ^-t^^-
