coal and metals,
and, in general, to avail themselves of the vast resources of the
colony. Sir Edward Parry, the famous Polar navigator, was sent out as
manager. The servants and _employes_ of the association formed quite a
flourishing colony on the Liverpool Plains, at the head of the Darling
River; and though, at first, it caused some confusion in the financial
state of New South Wales, yet, in the end, it proved of great benefit to
the whole colony.

#5. The Legislative Council.#--In 1824 a small Executive Council had been
formed to consult with Governor Brisbane on colonial matters. In 1829
this was enlarged and became the Legislative Council, consisting of
fifteen members, who had power to make laws for the colony. But as their
proceedings were strictly secret, and could be completely reversed by
the Governor whenever he chose, they formed but a very imperfect
substitute for a truly legislative body. Yet this Council was of some
service to the colony: one of its first acts was to introduce the
English jury system, in place of arbitrary trials by Government
officials.

#6. The Newspaper War.#--Governor Darling was never popular. During the
greater part of his period of office intrigues were continually on foot
to obtain his recall; and from this state of feeling there arose what
has been called the newspaper war, which lasted for four years with
great violence. The first Australian newspaper had been established in
1803 by a convict named Howe. It was in a great measure supported by the
patronage of the Government, and the Governors always exercised the
right of forbidding the insertion of what they disliked. Hence this
paper, the _Sydney Gazette_, was considered to be the Government organ,
and, accordingly, its opinions of the Governors and their acts were
greatly distrusted. But, during the time of Brisbane, an independent
newspaper, the _Australian_, was established by Mr. Wentworth and Dr.
Wardell. A second of the same kind soon followed, and was called the
_Monitor_. These papers found it to their advantage, during the
unpopularity of Darling, to criticise severely the acts of that
Governor, who was defended by the _Gazette_ with intemperate zeal. This
altercation had lasted for some time, when, in the third year of
Darling's administration, a very small event was sufficient to set the
whole colony in an uproar.

A dissipated soldier named Sudds persuaded his companion, Thompson, that
their prospects we