L825 Chief Secretary for Ireland), Lord Bathurst relieved Major Goulbiirn from office, intimating at the mme time that if he ahouM choose to do so he might hold office until a successor might be appointed. Goulbnrn remained after the Governor had departed. Disagreement with his Sec- retary was supposed to have hastened Brisbane's retirement. The advice of those around the Governor created continual trouble. Chief Justice Forbes had arrived in the colony, like Governor Macqnarie, with ostentatious predilection to exalt the emancipated convicts at the expense or in defiance of the free settlers. He was ftuspected of half-hearted allegiance to the monarchy of England. He affected to spurn the prudishness of those who kept aloof from the society of the freed. Amongst those who kept aloof was John Macarthur, who was unintentionally aggrieved by the Governor. Brisbane, in 1822, requested Macarthur to become a magistrate. His |**high character," his 'Hiseful pursuits,*' his ** talents," 'induced the offer. Wylde the Jndge-Advocatej and Barron Field the Judge, deprecated the appointment. They ad- mitted Macarthur' s ability and the public benefits he had conferred, but "the p^rt which he took in the rebellion, or rather the rebellion which he &liiiOBt iLlooe caiiaeil . . . ftml having reason to knt>w that good terms so little, if at all, prevail between Iiini and the tnagiatrat^s generally, we cannot bnt rlonbt whether the appointment wonld be approv^eil b}^ His Majesty's Ministers, and we consider it at least our public duty respectfully to submit whether it should at aU take place." Brisbane sent I^Iajor Goulbm*n to explain that, having '* discovered that divisions unfortunately existed which he endeavoured in vain to conciliate/* he was under the pain- ful necessity of dechning Maearthtir's aid, but that **no change had taken place in the esteem he entertained for Macarthur's character/' and that at all times he should be most happy to meet him, Macarthur considered himself '"particularly unfortunate in having been invited'* to accept an office which circum- stances might have induced him to decHiie but for a wish not to be thought * 'disinclined to contribute to the support of the government/* But as he had **imfortunately con- sented/' the omission of his name was a pubhc degradation^ which nothing but consciousness oi TCftctilwi'ei <^l ^qAxO^
