The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-27

other though separ ated by considerable intervals of
time. The readers Of the Times will remember that
immediately on the discovery of the goldfelds, In
May, 1851 we lost no time In warning the govern |
ment OF the dangers with which discovery appa-
rently SO full Of promise was fraught We showed
that large number of men Of awIees habits and des
perate character would be drawn together by the
common attraction of the godfelds: that they would
learn from their numbers the secret Of their own
strength; and that II they had the win they would
certainly have the power to dictate their own terms
to the executive government. We urged an in
crease OF the police to defend the public property
and enforce obedience to the law, and we pointed
out that it was the duty of the government not to
allow the rich golden deposits-the undoubtsd pro-
petty Of the public-to be riied by the first conner
for consideration scarcely more than nominal.
How well subsequent events have justified our fore
sight y now, unhsppily, only too apparent
and Indignation that Mr. Latrobe, the Governor Of
Port Philip, having announced his intention Of rails
ing the license fec from thirty shillings to three
pounds month, the miners assembled together to
the number of thousand, and passed resolution
pledgiDg themselves to protect any miner against
whom the fee might be sought to be enforced, The
governm ent gave way without struggle, and the
miners were for momeLt satistied but we took &C.
casion to observe that after such concession the
ihority of government is gone is weakness is
fessed and it only exists by the snerance Of lawless
multitude. to- whom it has taught the terrible secret
OF tier own strength The same viii which repeal
ed with breath the reasonable demand OF govern
ment can break through other restrictions. There
are no longer two parties TO the contract between
the gold seeker and the government. They take as
much and pay as little as they please. The evil
is only at its commencement. As these persons have
met 0l ether byno concert some time must elapse be-
fore they can be brought to act in uDisop but every
Cay brings to such result We have not for
| gotten the ridicue with which these opinions were
received by our contemporaries of the English press
| or the abuse levelled az them in the colony. We
have waited for time to do us justice and thst time
has cone ut least as soon as we expected Instead
Of the police being made really efficient it seems,
| through mistaken and most prodigal economy to
bave been allowed to fall into absolute Contempt The
inadequHcy Of salaries caused the best officers and
men 10 resign, and they were replaced by person,
morally and physically unfit for the duty. The dig
! gers became emil shtei ed, as we predicted they
would be as to the secret Of their own strength and
also to the weakness of the body which professed
! to control them. They were lot slow to profit by
the Lesson. In June and July Of this year meetings
were held denouncing the license fee, and agreeiog
to nelsoral to The Governor praying for its reduc-
ton to ten sbillings. At these meetings the most
saDgunaJy threats were uttered, and one OF trem
concluded with an attack on the police, who fed
from it in terror On the 1st OF August The depnFa
tion waited on the Governor with memorial, signed
by seven thousand miners, requiring the Immediate
reduction Of the license fee, as established by law
| from thirty to ten shillipgs.
Mr.. Latrobe answered, "What you ask me is i'm
possible cannot destroy the law am sworn 10 de
| my duty, and am prepared for anything. While the
license fee is law it must be obeyed there are other
and more important interests than the gold dggers
u
cris. The miners assembled with flags and
| agreed to pay no more than ten shlngs license fee
and to appoint q deputaticn to tender that sum to
the Commissioner. In answer to this demonstration
| Mr.. Latrobe published q letter. already commented
on in these columns In which he argued the matter
in dispute with calnDess and ability. On the 2oth
OF August tumultuous meeting was held at Bendi-
go, and the ten shilngs in full payment for licenses
rendered to and refused by the Commissioner Guns
were fired, badge of resistance, red riband, was
adopted the miners abstaiped from taking out licenses
for the next month, and separated after announcing
their intention to reassembe ON the lst OF September
They had no occasion do SO; on the Both day of that
very August, the 1ss Of which Mr.. Latrobe had
emphatically refused 10 lower the license fee, the
Legislative Council Of Victoria met and it was thus
that panic stricken Governor addressed craven
Legislature" The objections to the present license
fee, and the practical difficulties an the way of col
lectng it, have forced themselves atterly 80 orciby
! upon me that am disposed TO propose to you its
total abolition merely ieservpg registration fee for
police purposes. loss Of revenue ~ large amount
will thus be incurred. which propose to supply by
revision Of the tariff, including an export duty on
| gold." On the lst of September the gum trees
at the goldfeds were placarded with notices Of
| the Infectious Of the government, but drawn up
in such object terror that Of two documents, pre-
pared on the same day, one asserted and the other
denied that the license fee for the current month
| would be collected. hurried committee Of the
| Legislative Council recommended, as mater Of
| urgency toe passing Of q temporary act, fixing the
cense fee at forty shipgs for the remaining three
months of the year-a sum Shich, after the declara
ton Of the Governor, will, of course, never be COL
lected, and con only be considered as decent pre-
luce to allowing the tax to drop altogether.
Thus, then, has one OF our most uUfavorab,e pre-.
dictions been more than raaNed the government Of
/ Victoria ia bumbled in the dust before lawless
mob; the reign Of order and the supremacy Of the
law are at an end, With regard to the mining
population, the public property Is abandoned to un
controlled pillaee-a cowardly Legislature and re-
cIeant government are forced to register the edcts
Of heterogeneous multitude, and the institutions
As was the case Wien they defeated The attempt to
increase the license fee, the miners for moment
satisfied, and shortved tranquility is procured.
But who shall say how long that tranquility shall
last! Bow long will those who refuse to pay COM
pensation for the public property which they eppro.
pirate submit to pay it indirectly in the form of
export duty? What Injustice be greater than to
impede the operations of commerce and the acqui.
sition OF the necessares Of lie, in order TO grant
perfect mpuni.y to class already in possession of
incredible riches? And what greater aggravation
Of this injustice there be than the consideration
that it is inflicted under the dication Of violence
and the influence OF terror? O. cour;e, the aban-
Comment OF the license fee in Victoria viii draw after
it its abolition in New South Whes; and just at the
moment when en- increased revenue is required the
colonies viii find themselves stripped Of that they
already possess. We are weary of the part of Cas-
sandra; but if this plague can be arrested the home
government ought not to lose one moment in tshiog
the most efficient and cosrcive measures for the pnr
pose and If il cannot, they had better surrender
government which they administer under the
dictaton Of mob comprising in is numbers the
most desperate Of adyenturer, and fhe vilest Of
criminals.
CAPE or Good Hope.
ApTREE SNsroS OF TLS sRrTLERs-pRoB RE.
NEwkL or TIE CAFFBE WAR.
BY the arrival OF the Victoria steamship in Eng
land, we lave information from the Cepe OF Good
Hope 10 the 18th ult.
lie principal subject Of interest was The pending
fate OF the Otanre River Sovfndru,y, wifrs Fir
George Clerk, with plcraTy povCrs, was ab'ainsag
| information regarding Us iutrte dispossl CIR a
fears entertained by the oelariN thai tsf 30
| eminent viii Withdraw brtish latt0sitag Each
| case they sSIect their lafms via - III 90 =
| OF tie Bo,is Many OF these ems $50. ffuD
the disloyal in lsds, aud giytr - - HFst
Cd tie Cuteas authority aha 49, leisffl
think they ought o. bc sappartea 1895
siore which Rave been ttockea 4na 4 asdH
that imprt ssiop.
There appears TO be prcuI q icF Apprehension thai
after the Games have rot IL their eIogs they ~il