DEMOCRACY OF AUSTRALIA.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 64, 21 December 1878, Page 3

DEMOCRACY OF AUSTRALIA.

I _ The fcllowiii--, from t!ie Time?, is sit/ned by a gold miner residing on the I [>• - r I ,miiv;l ■• [liver, His lend, neie.s mi : nth ti ■a-juxlsj tlie i . i li ■: Gi i-.-i r :-' -Tlie cau> •- which create ur 1 ' ..'.■:—:■ all of the y iu»-try I Ui Ilia ; ust. Vu i:i ■ ::. i ■'. in •:' ih< mit will be necessary t > make a retrospect, j'lie ■ :..!• i n _ of the yi ar I MS] found this colony i.\ ict irin I. '"inning to r. cover fri.in a (i ii '1 of depression which had prostrat' I its in lustri il iil -r. >ts fur s 'vcral years ] revioudy and, r du -ed the pastoral tiit-.-ii.-st particularly i > a position verging on actual bankruptcy. A f w months later and the gold discoverv took ['lace. Then the tide of | opulation began to t!o\v intw Victoria with a volume whi li i- probably unexampled inihemulati :< nt inanki'..d. As tlie auriferous iisevcries oYicud.-d. law rapidly did it

translorin Ihe wlc [..- n i.ect of uialtcrs -eucndly : Til- -.pialtcr, wlio up to (hi.. n -'<■■:. -r :'.'■■- « ill, dillieultii 5, ■• i - ■ !'-\. I.'l int" : ■ I aliln ■. ■ ■ . U.i-U it ttotlid l.r . iih-i hj 1-. fil: i .-! pan ! the Listen : .. I:i- '• •an . ■ - : . ■ I •.:... i- ... ■ : .:;■: -''■';'■: -i-iiu__- I - ,., |, ;}■,.■•■,• dutypaid in Victoiia aioi.o amounted In •;.>7 •">.">. Il is ci itainh rl.i- mn.-l pr-nni- :. : tiv mici - - fill - ; ti ;.. v.va-tln ch-s.s uid.i'i 1 have -,!•,-; ,i; I .- , ; i, a wv i|. kn ,wn fa.l ll.ai . v ia! »: i rs , ,ul-l }.,. ham .1 \\l- --■ Wi-.d !:. if i; l.- ,;:■} ; ntr ]„,. r ;.:.::< wn r. irv ;.. : ~ r \-_ lit I i \v|.a;i ~..:■'. :- 'i:-.< ''."i-i make a :;.-i-.iii .■:-, :-.:, ■ '.;''.'.' -.'■ •• i' i !<■ I : - | ■ ;ml . : v | -iiip. '. . ml i Ids ,-..,-..s ' . :. Ll'- .1 v . ill e:,al] ; . . :., |o i ar : avu i-v :-y ■• n |-etiti(ui, and il, reby ll' .'eat lie; mi '•«■ fill mill- :■ fi mi . : : . g i -- ■-i n ■': -.-•: ultur; I land U| !■' - tt! . Tli • ii-iveiit if constitute mil e-.'V- i-.-,. :,( .-, tii - ■ I-,: v ;.: a-- i,m- le- ;:■-'. i. '- an .".pp. itni.it.vof checking tie- .-:.:. 'il ;■.:._- of tin .-il. I held i ■■' ..-. We a. i- a familiar wit li ihe land Ci: I- 11'.' I J'- Welo OVorcolll" lai-L.ii.Ji loopholes found in legal phraseology, thus ouahling this powerful class to and more nud iiiuro to their possessions. 1 l.i!i-M- no statesman « vi-r bruught to the s-ttli ment of our vexi -i land question

• 'harli - ' iavuii I lull'y. It is mi mumble' in our political history how I ho omission of a single word in l/uil'y's Land Act was the means of alicntiug from tlio Crown iin.. the hands of the Land Ring aboul 3,000.000 acres of the fines! Bf.il in the co)i iiv. 'i Kc whole aim of our statesman has been to devise measures which would have the effect of enabling tho small ■ pitalisl to got his kedgo anchor down up. n n land-holding whioh ho could call his o\\ 11, ai i n : - In c ime a permanent occupant in tij■ - country. To a limited extent this aim has i" > u buci essful ; hut, y it, in spite of restrictive enactments, tho squatting cluss manage, by ;t process known an dummying and other means, to ki ep i>u raj idly adding to their extensive domain*. Too Mine circumstances which wo have had to contendagaintl in this i lony nro existing in all tli<! other colonii ■ In till 8 iuth'i nv ll> mi phero. In Now South Wales, particularly, tho ■ si a n ol land alienation is going' on to sin hj an nxteut that il ■ I tovemuii nl poi I "ii il ii. tpvei ui (l , I • lIS to lie Hati."-' . draw . n, r pari ol its ordinary expenditure, Than is even

nan in thai col nv ■ bad hu ii of ilicukit; :, to ■■-' >p '.i" •'■' by tin -i|unttin_' fiater-' t-ty. A simple illustnti-ii «II i. fl In v. tJnj question oonfroi I ' in N. w Soatb Wall 11 fbytheCi iwn mil of land under cultiva-tion is 600,000 acres. The of !;; ml monopoly is going i. ;i!-" in Queensland lo such an ■ stout us to rouse it> Oovi rami u( tot;,. I - : i.'_- i' :iid va n I':.. !! i in vain, foi its ! |.|,.rd I ; ! •■ i'. .- v.!. oh sli .' tint tliop \ In ii J lul i be in-

ilved in n fierce and vii !i nt conflict. The land fax which the j r . nt Government in Victoria has earned into law to ' 1 1; this |»rcM isi of land aci umulation ;:i!ioijgthi few Las been the signal for i ■ ■ • i !ouncil. aa the cham--1 ii of th" !■ nd in I■ i .-; i.i carry on hosI tics ir its own peculiar way against i ntativo Assembly. The 6m . ;u ■•■ mi■ni.iiiiii',' I'arluiiiieiitary oppoi •. its ;,, the Land Ring by bribery ami intimidation has been completely frustrated by paying our representatives. Kin wing this, and knowing also that in

t .•■ hands ii!' iur|■ i •.-. :.t i';iriiatm-.nt lies tho renewal of the sciuatting leases granted under tho Duffy Land Bill, it is iiisy enough to understand the meaning ' F our last deadlock created by our Upper Ii use, which is founded as a represi ntni vis of wealth only. Am 1 ovcr-stafing i.. case ' Lei us look .'it it in another i ny, and present the problem thus:— (liven a class of men, the most of whom i.i" by no means well educated ; given that such a class is suddenly lifted from poverty to a position of gnat affluence, and with such opportunities as the possessors of wealth have had in increasing it in Australia through obtaining posscsii ii i f I ml : wi uld such a class bo reasonable in it demands and easily satisfied '. Would anything less thaii mpacii u-nc.-s bo tho principle of co-operation and tho I'riiits of labour must he proper solution to this problem ? As an abstract matter, and looked upon in the light not only of past events, but also in the evidence prisented in the daily records of i ur newspaper relations is there any other

inti rpietatiou of this question than the one whicli I have-given? It was to prevent our ] uhlio estate from being totally ab- ■ ili-d hy nn insatial leclasi that, on May il : ' the a ricultnri.sf left his plough in the furrow, ihe ring of the pioneer'sa>: -' - • ilenl in tl.i I n I, and the minei uki vi into il. tide, tli gh the 1 !i'-i-l ix. lie- gr. at ipi Mion oi the ; • pi v. i-.mis the landocracy. 'J lie lin-uiii-takuhli- emphasis in which our elec- :- i- liiim- sj-i i;. n is the key-note to the iii -ice and virulent onslaught which has l-'vn mad.- against the people hy the .•pporii-nls of the present (iuvernmeiit. I wi:l nol , ;,-;. -e, nd to rpiote (he ofi'eilsivo ■ ■ :i . in which we have hi en dr-nounci d hy these ji iiinals, from which we have a i'i;;i:i to expect astraithfonvanland vigor--iii.- defence i f their own views without the lii.-eallov of virulent denunciation heins i ii ■■'••'. with .!. 1 would like to speak - a this m Hit in t- rue- of modi ration, ioc my avocation as a gold-miner compels me io"n .;, far in the Australian wilderi. ■■. and a] ail fn in tlial netive life where ; a-sioii piny- such a eonsjiieuous pari in ;ae diseu.-si in ol our political ijucstiuns. i!ul it ili . - siiiir.d strange in my c-in - for the ciass to which 1 belong to he denounced c.s revolutionary communists, v.i.o are ' lawless and turbulent in their acts.' 'Turbulent indeed ! I havefouglii ii rough a campaign lasting now close up- n tw. niv-iive veai-s the life of a gold miner. 1 have fought Ihe battle, I bell' '-'-. fail ;. : -..i-d tiiis i can assert and u| hold, that the population which ha; followed up our gold-fields has 1 n the niosl pciiieab'.e and ordi rly body, of men ■li m i . .'- e ever km Wll. I have often ■ xpi rii in ,-. 1 a feeling of pride, on looking al the thotisinds of young and vigorous representatives from the 01.1 World formed iu little groups by the blazing camp tires which shone up over hill, vall.-y, and ravine, at the security 1 fell in the midst of such a large assemblage of humanity without, in many cases, any i "lice protection being within miles of us. ,'ut these were the lads who eame uway ii-in the best industrial •hum., of the Old ( 'ountry somo twenty and odd years ago, and the energy which tiny have exerted, the work which they have done, is nol that which is born of turbulence, hut is the natural outcome of a respect for law, onicr, ami peace."

20m (X'I'OUER, 1878. Wl.al oils Apia's chcc-rftilu ? Why do tho people laugh the less? Wliat (rives the air this mistiness V The weather's dull i 1 graiil it, yes i \. i tell mo true if in a mess ]!.-( friend is honest truthfulness) Ti il me in siber earnestness What ails Apia's ottocrflllnessf II iranger, bond a pitying eye Cn ii- poor mint.ils doomed to lie i month's term in misery ! V.ui ask tho cause, alas I And why In sackcloth goes the flsotory? r'aroVr th atovi I irj i nil liief hasgone, good "SuumCaique," 111 11.1.M.5. .Wiielne. Divi "it" bonis, optima Itomulro ( uttos geotit, abes Jam nlmiuni diu ; Uoturum roditum poUioitus putruin S.iiii In OODcilio ledi. I ■ ■■ l.li ime, dux bons patri e ; II »• VI li I eilim VilltllS lll'i lulls Altai ! popujb, grutlor il dl i Kl ii'les lui'liu. a.lent.