Historical Records of New South Wales

Vol. VII, p. 256

Proclamation

By His Excellency Lachlan Macquarie, Esquire, Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the territory of New South Wales and its dependencies.

Whereas it has pleased His Majesty to express his high displeasure at the arrest and removal of William Bligh his late representative in this territory and its dependencies, from the exercise of the powers and authorities granted him in that behalf, and also to consider all appointments to situations and offices of public trust made by such persons as have assumed to themselves the executive authority since such arrest and removal, as illegal and invalid; and to express his gracious will and pleasure that all persons who have since that time been appointed to such offices of public trust, by virtue of such illegal authority, should be forthwith displaced; and that those persons who held such offices at the time of the said arrest and removal should be restored to the exercise of the duties of the same.

And whereas it has further pleased His Majesty to consider all grants of land and of stock, and all leases of houses made subsequent to the time of such arrest and removal (especially such as have been made to the officers of the 102nd Regiment) as invalid; and to command that the same should immediately be declared null and void, subject, however, to such exceptions and restrictions as will be hereinafter mentioned.

And whereas it has further pleased His Majesty to consider all trials and investigations had since such arrest and removal as invalid in law; and to command His Excellency the Governor to declare, in the most public manner, all such appointments, grants, leases, trials, and investigations to be null and void.

His Excellency, in obedience to such, His Majesty's commands, hereby publicly and solemnly makes known and signified, and commands all persons to take notice, that those persons who have been appointed to any situations and offices of public trust whatever, since the arrest and removal of William Bligh, esquire, late representative of His Majesty in the territory of New South Wales and the dependencies thereof, will prepare to deliver up the charge of them, and all papers, records, and documents belonging to them, and all money stores provisions. bills and effects the property of the public, in their hands, by twelve of the clock at noon on Monday, the eighth day of this present January, to those persons who respectively exercised the duties of the same at the time of the arrest and removal of William Bligh, His Majesty's late representative in the territory of New South Wales and who will thenceforth be reinstated in the full enjoyment of the said offices.