he ultimate outcome of the new
discoveries; viz., the introduction of responsible government. The same
despatch contained a still more important concession, authorizing the
Lieutenant-Governor to devote the remaining part of the land
revenue--viz., that arising from sales and pastoral licenses--"to the
purposes rendered urgent by the present crisis." As this fund was
jealously reserved by the existing constitutions of the Australian
colonies, and devoted, under the provisions of the Crown Land Sales Act,
exclusively to the purposes of emigration and public works, it will be
seen that the Colonial Office took a strong step in sanctioning its
diversion. But it must be observed that the expenditure of this
additional fund was placed exclusively in the hands of the
Lieutenant-Governor and his Executive Council, acting independently of
the Colonial Legislature.

With this assistance, the Lieutenant-Governor struggled on amid
increasing difficulties till the spring of the year 1853. By this time
the agitation against the license fee had reached an alarming height,
for the first successes of the new discoveries had passed away, and,
although the export of gold continued to increase, it was by no means at
its former rate nor in proportion to the increase of population. At the
beginning of September, 1853, there were said to be nearly seventy
thousand persons living at the Victorian gold-fields, and many of these,
in all probability, earned very little more than mechanics employed in
settled work. Hence there was a fair ground for an orderly agitation
against the amount of the fee; but, unfortunately, the diggers preferred
violent measures. There was some excuse for them. They were not
represented in the Legislative Council, for they had sprung into
existence as a body since the passing of the Act of 1850, and, though a
measure had been introduced with a view to giving them the franchise, it
had not yet received the assent of the Home Government. In the mean
time, therefore, they could not, through their representatives in the
Council, effectively criticise either the existing law or its
administration. With regard to the latter, there was obviously room for
complaint, for the immense increase of business had compelled the
Government to appoint an inferior class of officials, and some of these,
at least, succumbed to the strong temptations of their positions.

At the beginning of August, 1853, a petition had been presented by t