Pen and Ink Portraits'

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 77, 4 March 1882, Page 392

Pen and Ink Portraits'

No. 34.— The Hon. Peter Lalor, M.L.A.,

THE BALL A.R AT INSURRECTION,

Many of our readers will have noticed in Queenstreet during the past week or two the figure of a tall, dignified stranger, with one arm. If they have manifested any curiosity as to the name of the stranger, they will probably have learned that he is the Hon. Peter Lalor, M.L.A., Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria. To old colonists, and specially to old Victorians, of whom there are many in the community, the name awakens half-forgotten memories and reminiscences of the early days of the neighbouring colony, when the diggings were pouring out their golden treasures, and the auri sacra fames attracted the bone and sinew and intellect of Europe and America to the Australian El Dorado ; when the blue shirt was more en rec/le than fine broadcloth ; when the beggar of to-day might be the pampered minion of fortune of to-morrow, when hardy, self-reliance and rough hospitality were the prominent virtues, and poverty and conventionalism found no place. Mr Lalor's name also recalls one of the most stirring and memorable crises in the history of Victoria, in which he was a foremost actor, — the " Ballarat Insurrection," as it has been somewhat erroneously called, more properly an armed protest against a species of tyranny and misgovcrnment, and this protest, or resistance, has been amply condoned and justified by subsequent reforms, and by the unanimous voice of the people, including "even many of those who were loudest in condemning the movement at the time. Mr Lalor's career is an eloquent commentary on the whirigigs of time, " which brings about its own revenges," and illustrates the ameliorating influences of modern progress and enlightment. But we are anticipating BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. Mr Lalor, as we learn from " Heaton's Australian Men of the Time," was born in 1827, at Tennikill, Queen's County, Ireland. He is the youngest son of Mr Patrick Lalor, who for several years represented that county in the House of Commons, and who took a prominent part in the movement which resulted in the passing of the Act for the abolition of tithes. He was elected soon after the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Bill, and from that time to this, one seat for the Q.ueen's County has almost without interruption been held by a near relative of Mr Lalor, whose brother now represents the same constituency. Mr Peter Lalor was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and began life as a civil engineer. In 1852, shortly after the gold discoveries in Victoria, lie came out to Melbourne, and after a short sojourn in that city went to the Ovens, and thence in Feburary 1853, to Ballarat. THE BALLARAT INSURRECTION. — THE LICENSE GRIEVANCE. He was lucky, and appeared to be on the eve of " making a pile ; he owned two valuable claims — one on the Eed Streak, Golden Point, and the other on the Eureka, when a sudden change of circumstances repulsed the fickle goddess. At that time the law compelled every digger to provide himself with a license at, we think, a cost of 30s per month (it had formerly been £3) and men were constantly subjected to annoying surveillance, or arrested for lack of the necessary document, and chained, like the lowest felon, to a log, in the absence of a lock-up. Such was the tyranny exercised by the authorities that men who requested the police to accompany them to their tents in order to produce their licenses were ! refused, and unceremoniously hustled off. It is not to be wondered at that this treatment engendered a bitter feeling of resentment towards the authorities who administered the law, and that the feeling was intensified when it was discovered that the powers entrusted to the police were not always exercised from purely impartial motives. It should be borne in mind that the license fee, being a poll-tax, was not only unconstitutional, but odious to every British subject, and no poll-tax has ever been tolerated in England since the days of Wat Tyler. In addition to this it should be remembered that the diggers at that time were not allowed to vote for the election of members of Parliament, and were therefore allowed no voice either in the making or administration of the law. Under all these circumstances it is not surprising that the outbreak should have taken place, and that Mr Lalor himself should have received the generous and general support of even the Conservative party in Victoria. But the immediate cause of he rising is traceable to THE MURDER OV SCOME. He was a Scotchman who had been in the colony for about two yeare. One day an old countryman and neighbour of his named Martin arrived on the diggings, and about midnight Scobie took him to the only licensed hotel in the place, and demanded admittance. This was refused by the landlady, and as Scobie persisted in his demand, she complained to her husband, whose name was Bentley. By this time the visitors had departed, but Bentley and three other men followed them, an altercation arose, and Seobie was killed, the fatal wound, as subsequent examination proved, being inflicted with a spade. A corner's inquest was held on the body, and was attended by the miners in very large numbers. Mr Lalor was present, as was also Mr Wanliss, who afterwards became, and was until recently, proprietor of the conservative journal of that district— Ballarat Star. The proceedings at the inquest were peculiar in many respects. At one stage of the inquiry the spectators were greatly scandalised when the coroner crossed over and held a private conversation with a. witness who was under examination. Although the evidence appeared to be quite clear, the jury did not return a verdict against Bentley and his associates, and the result seemed* to the friends of the murdered man to be a scandalous miscarriage of justice. On the strength of this evidence, however, Bentley and his .companions were tried by a Bench of Magistrates consisting of paid officials, and were discharged. One of the magistrates was afterwards proved to be pecuniarily interested with Bentley, and was dismissed from the public service. This only intensified the general feeling of dissatisfaction at

the palpable maladministration of justice, and a public meeting was held on tbe spot where the murder was perpetrated wi h a view of requiring from the Government a more searching investigation of the circumstances. Mr Lalor aud Mr "Wanliss attended this meeting, but merely as spectators. Trnflanimatory speeches were uttered by some of the speakers, prominent among whom was Tom Kennedy, more commonly known by the soubriquet of " Lick-in- the-lug," from a favourite phrase of his. The crowd became excited, and stormed Bentley's hotel, from which he aud his friends narrowly escaped with their lives, though the building was protected by a large force of police, if not military. The hotel was burned down, though against the strong protest of Mr Lalor. The evidence came before Mr Stawell, the then Attorncy-Greneral, now Sir ; William Stawell, Chief Justice of the colony of Victoria, avlio directed the trial of Bentley and his companions on a charge of murder, declaring, as we are informed, that the evidence was, in his ' opinion, sufficient to warrant a committal, if not actual conviction. The accused were convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. During these proceedings, however, the feeling' of mutual resentment and distrust between the authorities and the miners was increasing, producing on the one side a recourse to severer measures of repression, and on the other a temptation to overt acts of resistance. The forces on the scene were reinforced by large bodies of military and police, and the licensehunting was renewed with greater vigor and inquisitorial annoyance than ever. This the miners naturally construed into a deliberate attempt to irritate them to open violence. The population of Ballarat consisted of men who, for the most part, had a natural repugnance to tyranny in any form, and were jealous of any unwarrantableinterference with the liberty of the subject and individual freedom. As a collision became more and more imminent. THE EUREKA STOCKADE was built as a place of rendezvous, a collision having already occurred between the military and the diggers, who were under arms. Strong slabs were erected on their ends, backed up by other slabs from the inside, and banked up with, earth. Events now moved swiftly forward. Some 2500 men mustered, of whom it is said that 700 had served in the British army or navy. They were armed with such weapons as were at hand. Six hundred were in possession of rides of various kinds, and the rest had fowling-pieces, revolvers, pistols, swords, and pikes. The main roliance was on the rifles, the military being arms.' I with the old Brown-Bess. The insurgents were headed by Mr Peter Lalor, who had been unanimously elected Dictator ; Frederick Vcrn, allannovarian officer, who was the dictator's commander-in-cliief ; James H. McGJ-ill, an American student of West Point ; Carboni Eaffaello, an Italian ; Curtain, Lesman, Kenworthy, John Lynch, and J. W. Esmond. The men were formed into companies of 100 strong under officers of their own election. The police camp was seized, and a number of horses having been obtained from this and other sources, volunteer scouts were posted along the road to Melbourne extending to within a few miles of the city. On Saturday, Dec. 2nd, 1854, the scouts brought information to headquarters that a force numbering about 1000 men, and comprising military? navals, and artillery, was on the march. In order to prevent a junction of this force with the troops already at Ballarat, numbering about 400, Mr Lalor directed that 200 men who were stationed on an outport between the stockade and the military position, in Ballarat West, should be relieved at midnight by 200 others, aud that all the force should assemble at 5 o'clock in the morning and march to Bacchus station, in order to intercept the advance of the troops on the rough broken ground where the artillery would not be of much service, and the rifles would be most effective against the muskets. Through some blunder or design the outport party was not placed, or was immediately removed, leaving that point unguarded. The outport had protected the front extending from the north side of Black Hill to the west side of Golden Point, so that it woxild have been impossible for . the military to have approached to the stockade from that direction, had the insurgent outpost been maintained, without a severe struggle, which would have afforded time for the whole insurgent force to get under arms. TIIE ENGAGEMENT. It is supposed that Captain Thomas, who commanded the troops, had been made aware of the unguarded state of this point, for he appears to have seized, the opportunity for a coup de main. The attack took place at dawn on Sunday morning, the insurgents being completely surprised by a volley poured into the stockade by the storming party, led by Captain Wise and Lieut. Paul. As this was nearly two hours before the time appointed for the insurgent muster, there were less than< 200 in the stockade, and though they fought vigorously for 25 minutes they were completely surprised. Of their number, 22 were killed, 12 wounded, and 125 taken prisoners promiscuously from non-combatants and combatants, shewing that the insurgents stood their ground well. Of the military, 5 were killed and 12 wounded. Among the latter was Captain Wise, who died a few days afterwards. Lieut. Pa\il, of the H.M. I2th, was also severely wounded. Several innocent persons suffered. One man was shot while standing at the do.orway of his tent, and another who was nearly naked. In fact, one of the troopers was afterwards tried for wanton destruction of life. Mr Lalor, who had stood in the fore-front of the stockade during the light, received a ball in his left shoulder. Some of his friends concealed him under a pile of slabs, where he fainted from loss of blood. He was afterwards hurried away on a horse by his faithful friends to Brown Hill, whence he escaped in the evening, and at night reached Ballarat, all the time suffering great agony from his wound. Next day his arm was amputated by four surgeons. The Government offered .£4OO or £500 for bis capture, dead or alive, and rewards for Tern and Black, but they were loyally . shielded by their friendsi It is a curious commentary on the events of those times that whereas the Government of Victoria then offered so large a sum for Mr Lalor's dead body, they are now glad to pay him £1500 a-year to I live. However, he was under the barm for about three months.