Washington sentinel., 1854-01-01
From the London Times, December 10.
from Australia.

preciate its importance, we must recall few
| facts intimately connected with each other
though separated by considerable intervals oi
time. The readers Of the Times will remem
Der that, Immediately on the discovery of the
| gold fields in May, 1851, we lost no time in
warning the government of the dangers with
which discovery apparently so full of promise
was fraught. We showed that a large number
Of men of lawless habits and desperate char
acter would be drawn together by the common
attraction of the gold fields; that they would
learn from their nun bers the secret of Their
own strength; and that, if they had the will
they would certainly have the power to dictate
their own terms to the executive government
We urged an increase Of the police to defend
public property and enforce obedience to the
law, and we pointed out that it was the duty d
the government not to allow the golden de
posits-the undoubted property of the public
to be rihed by the first conner for consideration
scarcely more than nominal. How well subse
quent events have justified our foresight, is now
unhappily only too apparent.
On the 7th of May, 1852, we recorded with
shame and Indignation that Mr.. Latrobe, the
governor Of Port Phillip, having announced
his intention of raising the license fee from
thirty shillings to three pounds month, the
miners assembled together to the number of a
thousand, and passed resolution pledging
themselves to protect any miner against whom
the fee might be sought to be enforced. The
government gave way without struggle, and
the miners were for moment satisfied; but
we took occasion to observe that after such a
concession the authority of government is
gone, its weakness is confessed, and it only ex-
lists by the suferance of lawless multitude,
to whom it has taught the terrible secret of
their own strength. The same will which re-
pealed with breath the reasonable demand
of government can break through other restric-
tions. There are no longer two parties to the
contract between the gold seeker and the gov
ernment. They take as much and pay as little
as they please The evil is only in its COM
mencement. AS these persons have met to-
gether by no concert, some time must elapse
before they can be brought to act in unison,
but every day brings us nearer to such result.
Instead Of the police being made really eff
cient, it seems, through mistaken and most
prodigal economy, to have been allowed to fall
into absolute contempt. The inadequacy of
salaries caused the best officers and men to re-
sign, and they were replaced by persons NOR
ally and physically unfit for the duty. The
their strength, and also as to the weakness Of
They were not slow to profit by the lesson. In
June and July Of this year meetings were held
denouncing the license fee, and agreeing to
memorial praying for its reduction to ten shil-
lings At these meetings the most sanguinary
threats were uttered, and one of them con
cluded with an attack on the police, who fed
in terror. On the first of August the deputa-
ton waited on the governor with memorial,
signed by several thousand miners, requiring
the immediate reduction of the license fee from
thirty to ten shillings.
Mr.. Latrobe answered, "What you ask me
is impossible; cannot destroy the law; / am
sworn to do my duty, and am prepared tor any
thing. While the license fee is law it must be
obeyed; there are other and more important
interests than the gold-diggers' to be con
sidered." This answer brought matters to
crisis The miners assembled with flags, and
agreed to pay no more than ten shillings Ii
cense fee, and to appoint deputation to tender
that sum to the commissioner. In answer to
this demonstration, Mr. Latrobe published
letter, in which he argued the matter in dispute
with calmness and ability. On the 2Sth Of
August tumultuous meeting was held at Ben.
digo, and the ten shillngs, in full payment for
licenses, rendered to and refused by the COM
missioner. Guns were fired, badge Of resist
stained from taking out licenses for the next
month, and separated after announcing their
intention to re-assemble on the lst of Septem-
Der. They had no occasion to do so; on the
3Oth day Of that very August on the first Of
which Mr.. Latrobe had so emphatically refused
to lower the license fee, the legislative council
of Victoria met, and it was thus that panic
stricken governoraddressed craven legislature:
"The objections to the present license fee,
and the practical difficulties in the way of col
lecting it, have forced themselves latterly so
forcibly upon me, that am disposed to propose
to you its total abolition, merely reserving
registration fee for police purposes. A loss of
revenue to large amount will thus be in
Cured, 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
gold fields were placarded with notices of the
intention of the government, but drawn up in
such abject terror, that of two documents, pre-
pared on the same day, one asserted and the
other denied that the license fee for the cur
rent month would be collected. A hurried
committee of the Legislative council recon-
mended, as q matter Of urgency, the passing Of
temporary act, fixing the license fee at forty
shillings for the remaining three months of the
year-a sum which, after the declaration of the
governor, will of course never be collected and
can only be considered as decent prelude to
allowing the tax to drop altogether.
As was the case when they defeated the at
tempt to increase the license fee, the miners for
a moment are satisfied, and short lived tran
guilty is procured. But who shall say how
long that tranquility shall last? How long
will those who refuse to pay compensation for
the public property which they appropriate.
submit to pay it indirectly in the form of an
export dutys What injustice can be greater
than to impede the operations of commerce
and the acquisition of the necessaries of life,
in order to grant perfect impunity to class
already in possession of incredible riches?
Of course, the abandonment Of the license
fee in Victoria will draw after its abolition in
New South Wales, and just at the moment
when an increased revenue is required, the
colonies will find themselves stripped Of what
they already possess.
'ORRIBLE.-" Gathering Jane, for the last
time, ak you, will you ave me? y