Mr. J. Eyre, during the period of Gipps' rule, discovered a remarkable salt-water lake, which he named Lake Torrens, to the northward of the settled portion of South Australia, and surrounding it like a horse-shoe. Finding it impossible to penetrate to the northward from South Australia, as he had been instructed to do, in consequence of this impassable barrier obstructing his further progress in every direction from east round by north to west, Mr. Eyre travelled overland, along the coast, to King George's Sound, in the Colony of Swan River or Western Australia. Pursuing his way along the coast, with the desert on the right, and the Great Southern Ocean on the left for 1,200 miles, he overcame a series of obstacles of the most formidable character.

The first census taken during the government of Sir George Gipps, in 1841, gave the population as 130,856; the second, in 1846, as 189,609. As we have seen, at the close of Sir Richard Bourke's administration it amounted to 85,267; therefore it more than doubled itself during Sir George Gipps' eight and a-half years' term.

Sir George Gipps retired from the Government of the Colony on 11th July, 1846.

The following statistical information, giving a view of the progress of the Colony during Sir George Gipps's administration, is gleaned from the Registrar-General's Returns :

* Census taken 2nd March, 1841, when the population numbered 130,856.

CHAPTER IX.

on

GOVERNOR SIR CHARLES A. FITZ ROY.-1846-1854. Opening of Session 1846-Financial Message-Minimum upset price of land-Transportation-Select Committee on steam communication-Prorogation-Anti-transportation Committee-Re-assembling of Council-Finance Squatting regulations— Select Committee's report-Coal monopoly-Resolutions on Transportation-Immigration-Death of Sir George Gipps-Prorogation-Death of Lady Mary Fitz RoySession of 1848-Despatch on separation of Port Phillip-Finance-RailwaysSteam communication-Dissolution of Council-The Separation question-The new Legislative Council-Despatches on Separation and the Constitution-Despatch Transportation-Despatch on Crown Lands-Finance-Railways--Select Committee on a Sydney University-Sydney Corporation-Postage Bill-Steam communication-Re emigration to California-Prorogation-Opening of Session 1850-The Transportation question-Finance-Constitutional-Colonial appointments-Select Committees Grievances-Anti-transportation League-Railways— First Session of 1851-The new Constitution-Separation of Victoria-The Grievance petition-Prorogation-Gold discovery-Assembling of a new Legislative Council— Fitz Roy Governor-General-Despatches on Crown Lands-on Transportation— Second Grievance petition-Finance-Immigration-Steam communication-MintDefence-Military postage-Prorogation-Opening of Session, 1852-Select Committee to prepare a Constitution for New South Wales-Earl Grey's reply to the Remonstrance-Answer to Earl Grey-Financial Message-Mr. Wentworth's resolution re Estimates-Second Financial Message-Gold-fields managementSelect Committee on Immigration-Police Regulation-Clergymen's Stipends-Steam Communication-Cost of Military-Hon. E. Deas-Thomson-Railways-Close of Session-Legislative Session of 1853-Sir John Pakington's Despatch-Duke of Newcastle's Despatch-Resolutions in reference thereto-Select Committee on Constitution-Constitution Bill-Constitution Committee-Passing of the Constitution Act-Declaratory Resolutions-Finance-Water Supply-Dissolution of the Sydney City Corporation-Paris Universal Exhibition-Prorogation-Meeting of Legislative Council Governor-General's Opening Speech-The War with Russia--Sydney Railway Company-Mr. Parkes on inferior Immigration-Branch of Royal Mint-Finance -Governor-General's Salary-Dr. Lang re Separation-Correspondence on Constitution-Want of Confidence-Resolutions on Transportation-Darvall's resolutions adverse to Constitution Act-Select Committee on Immigration-Railway construction-Crown Lands Inquiry-Asiatic Labour-Territorial Revenue-Farewell to Sir Charles Fitz Roy-Prorogation-Kennedy's Discoveries-Statistics.

SIR GEORGE GIPPS left the Colony on 11th July, 1846, and was succeeded on the 2nd of August by Sir Charles Augustus Fitz Roy, Knight; Lieutenant-General Sir Maurice O'Connell having administered the Government during the interim as Lieutenant-Governor.

The second Session of the Legislative Council for 1846 was opened on 8th September. Mr. William Pitt Faithfull took his seat as Member for Argyle.

His Excellency Sir Charles Fitz Roy, in his Opening Speech, stated that the Queen having appointed him to the Government of New South Wales, he had deemed it his duty to call the Legislative Council together at the earliest moment of his administration that would suit their convenience. The Council was congratulated on the general prosperity of the Colony, after emerging in great measure from the difficulties it experienced under the late monetary depression. The Governor expressed his anxious and earnest desire, in administering the Government, to conduct it upon impartial, just, and constitutional principles, and to promote measures conducive to the well-being, happiness, and comfort of the community. He had assumed the responsible trust which their Sovereign had confided to his care unfettered by preconceived opinions on subjects affecting the interests of any class of Her Majesty's subjects in the territory. The Estimates would be submitted with full reliance on the liberality of the Council to make such provision as the exigencies of the public service might require, and the prosperity of the public revenue might warrant.

The Address in Reply was moved by Mr. Macarthur, seconded by Mr. Cowper, and adopted without division.

Mr. Henry Watson Parker was elected Chairman of Committees for the Session.

On 16th September the Governor's Financial Message for 1816-7 was received and read. Sir Charles Fitz Roy stated that he had adopted the Estimates of his predecessor, and now re-submitted them for the consideration of the Council, with certain alterations and additions. The total amount of the Additional Estimate for 1847 was £42,110 17s. 5d. By far the largest amount of the increase arose from the restoration of the Estimates for the Border and Native Police, which had been omitted in consequence of the contemplated expiration of the Crown Lands Occupation Act. This charge would not, therefore, constitute any actual increase in the expenditure of the Colony, though it would henceforth have to be defrayed out of the ordinary revenue, as soon as the unexpended balance should have been exhausted. It had been represented that as the duties of the Commissioners would now be in great measure confined to regulating and aiding in the collection of the license fees, and in other respects acting as guardians of the Crown Lands, their remuneration ought properly to be charged on the Crown revenues.

It

revenues.

had accordingly been proposed that the estimated charge on the general revenue should be reduced by transferring the amount of their salaries and allowances to the Crown With the proposed additions, the total amount of the estimated expenditure for 1847 was £297,518 15s. 6d.; the Ways and Means to meet which amounted to £316,770, leaving an estimated surplus on 31st December, 1847, of nearly £20,000.

On 22nd Mr. John Fitzgerald Leslie Foster took his seat as Member for Port Phillip.

The upset price of land formed the subject of debate in the Council on 25th September, when Mr. Robert Lowe moved a series of resolutions with regard to the same. The first of these—

"That the raising the minimum upset price of land first to 12s., and afterwards to £1 per acre, has rendered waste land unsaleable”—

was carried by 12 to 7. Mr. Lowe then moved—

"That while this price is maintained the squatting question can never be settled on a just and satisfactory basis."

An amendment by Mr. Wentworth, referring the question to a Select Committee, was negatived by 11 to 10, and the question then passed without division. The next resolution, "That the minimum upset price of land ought to be reduced to a sum not exceeding its valuc"

passed without division. The next resolution was for an address to the Governor, praying him to take the matter into consideration. Several amendments thereon were proposed, one of which, by Mr. Windeyer, requesting the transmission of the resolutions to the Home Government, was carried by 10 to 8.

On 7th October the Colonial Secretary laid upon the table a despatch, on the subject of transportation, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies-(Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone). This announced the intention of Her Majesty's Government not to alter the practice of transportation, so far as New South Wales was concerned, without the general approval of the Colony, or of the portion of it to be affected by such alteration. At the same time, while Her Majesty's Government desired to lessen the number of convicts yearly sent to Van Diemen's Land, they were disposed to doubt whether the absolute exclusion of transported convicts from New South Wales should continue. The Home Government sympathised with the impatience of the colonists of New

South Wales under the system which prevailed there some years ago, and could well understand that the recurrence of that system, the resumption of transportation on a scale even faintly resembling the former one, must be regarded with a just jealousy and alarm. But the question was essentially and entirely different, as to whether it might not be in a measure favourable to the material fortunes of New South Wales, and unattended with injury to its higher interests, to introduce, either directly from England at the commencement of their sentences, or from Van Diemen's Land at some period during their course, a number of prisoners small in comparison with the number carried to the Colony under the former system of transportation, and smaller still relatively to the augmented population among whom they would now be dispersed. The prisoners, likewise, would be employed upon a system different from that of former times, under which the abuses then complained of were generated. It would be acceptable to Her Majesty's Government if the Members of the Legislative Council would show a disposition to concur in the opinion that a modified and carefully regulated introduction of, convict labourers into New South Wales might be advisable. In view of an approaching period when the supply of free labour in the Australian Colonies would be below the demand, the desirableness was suggested of framing arrangements by which persons having passed through their period of probation in Van Diemen's Land might be introduced into New South Wales or Port Phillip. It would also be for consideration whether there were or were not certain descriptions of occupation, for the sake of which it might be desirable regularly to introduce a limited number of convicts from England into the Colony-viz., the execution of public works generally, and the making and repair of roads. Though the despatch was marked "private and confidential," it would be at the discretion of the Governor to make it public, should he consider it expedient to do so.

A Select Committee was, on 13th October, appointed on the motion of Mr. Wentworth to report upon this despatch. Numbers of petitions were, on 30th October, presented to the Legislative Council, from inhabitants of most of the provincial centres and the metropolis, against the revival of transportation. To one of these, adopted at a public meeting in Sydney, and setting forth "That this meeting has heard with the deepest feeling of alarm and regret that it is proposed to renew the system of transportation to this Colony,