300

CLIMATE OF ENGLAND.

But there, happily, it is

the utmost amount in the year. apportioned throughout the twelve months, and the husbandman looks with security to his springtime and harvest, and his supply of water is sure.

25th. I to-day engaged my berth on board the William Sharples; I am told that Wednesday will be my last day in Australia, but last days with mariners are as little to be relied on as "the last nights" at theatres.

CHAPTER X.

AUSTRALIA.

Adjourned meeting-Petition for a representative legislative assemblyThe probability of success-Rejected petition-Difficulties attending the formation of such a constitution-Strictures on Australia in the British Parliament-The different classes of proprietors-Want of middle classes -Probable contests-The franchise-Qualification-No necessity for a second house-The aristocracy-Sketch of the Government of New South Wales, from its first settlement to the present time-General Macquarie— Sir Thomas Brisbane-Sir Ralph Darling-Sir Richard Bourke-Sir George Gipps-Necessity of gradual changes-Proposed alterations in the Government-The Emancipist party-The Emancipist bank-Change of character in convicts-The excluded state of the Emancipists-Statistics of crime in New South Wales-Education the great remedyReligious parties-Monetary affairs of the colony-The banks-The commerce of Australia-Its exports and imports-Its revenue-' -The present embarrassments-Plan of debentures-Convict labour-Population of New South Wales-Productions and manufactures of the colony-The pressPayment to the ministers of the various religious parties-Public institutions and companies-Sagacity of a dog-The Roman Catholic CathedralBrickfielders-Retrospective view of my stay in Australia-Buckingham's America-Points of resemblance and difference between New South Wales and America Difficulties of inland communication in New South Wales-Fluctuations of the seasons-Objections to the colony-Its advantages-Prospects of emigrants-A short summary of my views on the great questions now agitating the colony.

February 26th.-I HAVE this forenoon been present at a second attempt on the part of the young and ambitious politicians of Australia to agree in their memorial to Parliament in behalf of a legislative assembly. I do not re

member ever to have been at any public meeting in my life where the commencement promised such alarming and unfavourable results; indeed, so warm was the discussion at one time, that I fully expected the opposing parties would have come to blows.

Mr. K said some clever things, and caused a smile by telling the meeting they were apparently scarcely ripe for free representative institutions, and concluded by proposing, as an amendment, that the Home Government should be requested to add twelve more independent members to the present legislative council. Dr. B-, the ablest supporter of the Emancipist party, in a manly composed address, endeavoured to refute Mr. K.'s view that New South Wales was not yet in a position for the change. I had heard a great deal of this gentleman's ability, and of his influence with the Emancipist body, and I could easily believe him to possess both. He seemed to be well received by all parties, and sat down amidst much approbation.

I am much deceived if the ultra Tory party would not willingly accept Mr. K.'s amendment, rather than that form of franchise which, when the details of the subject come to be discussed, is likely to be insisted upon by the ultra Liberal section of Australia. A Captain Oafter some moderate and sensible remarks, proposed that the following petition should be adopted :

"To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom, &c., &c. The humble petition of the undersigned members of council, clergy, magistrates, landholders, bankers, merchants, traders, and other colonists of New South Wales, in public meeting assembled ;

"Sheweth, 1. That in the colony of New South Wales there is a population of free British subjects, whose numbers, according to the last census, exceeds 100,000

souls; and that nearly one half of this population is concentrated in seventeen townships, the remainder being employed in agricultural, pastoral, and maritime pursuits.

"2. That the aggregate property of this community, moveable and immoveable, is estimated at not less than thirty millions sterling, and the annual increase thereof at two millions.

"3. That your petitioners can prove, from official returns, that the declared value of their imports and exports during the last ten years exceeds twenty-two millions sterling. That the declared value of the direct trade with Great Britain within that period exceeded fifteen millions; that the number of vessels entered inwards and outwards was 7,300, exhibiting a tonnage of almost two millions of tons; that the number of vessels arriving from Great Britain was 900, with a tonnage of 370,000 tons, and that the declared value of imported British manufactures exceeds ten millions.

"4. That this community is taxed for the purposes of government at an average yearly rate of from £3 to £4 per head; the revenue of last year having amounted, in round numbers, to £350,000.

"5. That, besides its large consumption of British manufactures, and its extensive employment of British shipping, this community has, within the last five years, relieved Great Britain of her surplus population to the extent of more than 50,000 souls, at an expense to the colonists of £1,000,000 sterling.

"6. That, notwithstanding their numbers, their wealth, the extent of their commerce, and the amount of their revenue, your petitioners have no control over their taxation, and no voice in the management of their own affairs; inasmuch as they have no representatives chosen

304

ITS UNANIMOUS ADOPTION.

by themselves in their local legislature, and are thus denied the exercise of that right which every Briton is accustomed to prize, as the glory of his country and the safeguard of her liberties.

"7. That this grievance is more severely felt by your petitioners from the consideration that the grounds no longer exist upon which their claim to representative institutions has been heretofore denied; and from the further consideration that this great constitutional right has been accorded to other British colonies whose maturity for its exercise is at least equalled by that of the community to which your petitioners belong.

"Therefore your petitioners humbly pray that your honourable House will be pleased to take the premises into consideration, and adopt such measures as to your honourable House may seem proper, for extending to the colony of New South Wales that form of representative legislature to which it is constitutionally entitled, and for the exercise of which, as herein before shown, it is now so fully qualified. "And your petitioners, as in duty bound, &c. &c."

This petition was agreed to to-day by the general voice of the heads of both the leading parties-Emancipist and Exclusionist, Tory and Whig. If its prayer be granted, the result would be a free representative assembly and a total change of the form of government in the colony. I consider myself peculiarly fortunate in being present at this first great step in its history. This is not the first attempt to compass this object, nor the first petition that has been presented, but it is the first that has been agreed to upon the broad ground of excluding no section of the inhabitants from civil rights; and, as the leaders of BOTH PARTIES agreed to support the address, I have little