Editing Rum Rebellion (section)

===Enmity between Bligh and Macarthur===
[[File:John Macarthur.jpg|thumb|upright|[[John Macarthur (wool pioneer)|John Macarthur]]]]
Macarthur had arrived with the New South Wales Corps in 1790 as a lieutenant, and by 1805 he had substantial farming and commercial interests in the colony. He had quarrelled with the governors preceding Bligh and had fought three [[duel]]s.

Bligh and Macarthur's interests clashed in a number of ways. Bligh stopped Macarthur from cheaply distributing large quantities of [[rum]] into the Corps and halted his allegedly illegal importation of [[still]]s. Macarthur's interest in an area of land granted to him by King conflicted with Bligh's town-planning interests. The two men were also engaged in other disagreements, including a conflict over landing regulations. In June 1807, a convict had [[stowaway|stowed away]] and escaped Sydney on Macarthur's [[schooner]] {{ship||Paramatta|1803 ship|2}}. When ''Parramatta'' returned to Sydney in December 1807, the bond held to ensure that masters and owners of vessels did not help prisoners escape the colony was deemed to be forfeited.<ref name="SLNSWBlighBanks">{{cite web | url = http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/banks/series_40/40_view.cfm | title = Series 40: Correspondence, being mainly letters received by Banks from William Bligh, 1805–1811 | work = Papers of Sir Joseph Banks: Section 7 – Governors of New South Wales | publisher = State Library of New South Wales | access-date = 2006-03-26 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060216144700/http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/banks/series_40/40_view.cfm | archive-date = 16 February 2006}}</ref>

Bligh had the [[Judge Advocate of New South Wales|Judge Advocate]], Richard Atkins, issue an order for Macarthur to appear on the matter of the bond on 15 December 1807. Macarthur disobeyed the order, was arrested and [[bail]]ed, and failed to appear for trial at the next sitting of the Sydney Criminal Court on 25 January 1808. Atkins rejected this, but Macarthur's protest had the support of the other six members of the court, all officers of the New South Wales Corps.<ref name="AustEncI">{{cite book | title=The Australian Encyclopaedia Vol.I | editor=A.W. Jose| pages = 171–2 | publisher=Angus & Robertson | location=Sydney | year=1927|display-editors=etal}}</ref> Macarthur objected to Atkins being fit to sit in judgement of him because he was his debtor and inveterate enemy.<ref name="AustEncII">{{cite book | title=The Australian Encyclopaedia Vol. II | editor=A.W. Jose| pages = 3–4 | publisher=Angus & Robertson | location=Sydney | year=1926|display-editors=etal}}</ref> Without the Judge Advocate, the trial could not take place and the court dissolved.<ref name="SLNSWBlighBanks"/>

Bligh accused the six officers of what amounted to [[mutiny]] and summoned Johnston to come and deal with the matter. Johnston replied that he was ill,<ref name="AustEncI"/> as he had wrecked his [[Gig (carriage)|gig]] on the evening of 24 January on his way home to his [[Annandale Farm|farm]] after dining with officers of the Corps.<ref name="DuffySMH">[http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/proof-of-historys-rum-deal/2006/01/27/1138319443948.html "Proof of history's rum deal"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826085621/http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/proof-of-historys-rum-deal/2006/01/27/1138319443948.html |date=26 August 2017 }} – article by Michael Duffy, ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 28 January 2006</ref>