33054-002040

33/1218 - 12 January 1833

Governor Phillip Commandant's Office Moreton Bay 28th Jan 1833

Sir In obedience to the commands of His Excellency The Governor, conveyed to me in the 4th of Par. of your letter No 32/11, I have now the Honor to state to you, for his information, the following means by the adoption of which I conceived the Settlement at Moreton Bay, would pay every expense attending it, except the Military detachment.

It is unnecessary for me to mention, that the most serious expense to which Government is at present subjected, is that of sup= =plying the prisoners with salted meat, an expense which I cannot help thinking ought never to have been incurred, as the money which is expended in supplying salt provisions for eighteen months, if applied in purchasing and sending live stock, would render all future supplies of beef or pork from Sydney unnecessary, and J

(left margin content) No 33/2

let the [...] see this paper

16 July 1833

Capt Clunie in reply as per margins 8 March 33

See margins

Request the Dy [...] Genl. to furnish me with an account of the expense of supplying the Establishment at Moreton Bay with salted meat for the years 1831 and 2 respectively Mr Laidley 2 March 33

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I have no hesitation in saying that if this had been done at the formation of the Settlement 20,000 pounds would have been saved to the public - I should therefore propose, that if the establishment here is kept up at it's present strength, twelve or Thirteen hundred head of cattle of different ages should be immediately sent to Moreton Bay, as was proposed two years ago, when I understood the idea was abandoned from its being supposed they would leave traces, which might be a guide for runaways; but this idea appears to me erroneous, as runaways could not subsist travelling through the interior. - If, however, there should still be an objection, to sending cattle by land, they might be sent by sea, and the freight paid by the [...] carrying back maize, timber, shingles and other productions of the settle= =ment: Though this latter plan would not answer so well, except in the event of the numbers at Moreton Bay being diminished, and consequently fewer cattle being required.

Though it is only trifling, J

[left margin]

I do not purpose to fill up the vacancy. Dr Bowman already inf. 19 Feb 33

3 I conceive the salary of one Asst. Surgeon, might be saved without in= =convenience, more especially as there is a vacancy at present, and if two medical Officers are required here, for which I confess I see no necessity, one of them ought to be a military medical Officer. This would render the duties of the two distinct, which I think desirable; however, it appears to me, one is sufficient, and although while I remain, I should be sorry to lose so zealous an Officer as the one now here, should his services at any future period be required elsewhere, the duties could be per= =formed by a Regimental Asst Surgeon, who I should think is not required in Sydney, and who I should suppose for 5/- a day would be glad to discharge the duties which have heretofore cost the pay and allowances of two Asst,, Surgeons; added to which at a final Settlement, with a military commandant, perhaps the more military the establishment is, the better.

Should the same vessel always be employed to come here, J

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I think the pilot might be dispensed with, as the Master and mates would know the channel, one of the free seamen here, could look after the buoys, and the expense of Pilot, guard, boats crew, buildings and boats, would be altogether saved.

A small [underlined] apparent saving, might be effected by placing the Superintendent of Pub. Works, on the same footing as Officers in charge of road parties, and making a de= =duction of 2/- per day from his civil in place of his military pay as at present.

I are not aware of any other expense which could be altogether done away with, at present, but I am disposed to think, the consump= =tion of Engineer stores would be diminished, if in place of the Commandant on the 1st Sept sending in an estimate of the expense of the Settlement for the following Year, / which not knowing the price of any one article he cannot do correctly, and afterwards by almost every opportunity asking and receiving supplies of various kinds, it would be better on the1st Sept to send in a

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a requisition for all stores required /stating for what purpose/ during the ensuing year, and unless under par= =ticular circumstances he ought to get no more, for although quantities of stores on hand are very convenient, when this is the case, persons are apt to be less economical in the expendi= =ture of them. If this plan, however, was adopted, as there would be no surplus stores at the Settlement, it would be necessary that things required should be sent immediately for much inconvenience might result. _ In sending stores, it might also be attended with advantage if the price was made known, in order that the Commandant might be most economical in the expendi= =ture of those most expensive.

By the above arrangements the expense of the Settlement in= =cluding also that of one Government vessel, and a fair interest for the money which might be expended in purchasing cattle. I conceive might be entirely defrayed by the produce of the Settlement: -

Owing to a change in the Commissariat at this Station I am unable to ascertain the exact quantity of

[left margin] This Plan may be accepted if Mr Laidley sees no objection. Mr Laidley 2 March 33