Soon after my arrival at Ballarat, the mining population of the place
was roused to a state of great excitement--by being constantly worried
about their gold licences.
All engaged in the occupation of mining, were required to take out a
monthly licence, for which one pound ten shillings had to be paid. Each
miner was required to carry this licence upon his person; and produce it
whenever desired to do so, by the commissioner, or any official acting
under his authority.
It was not to the tax of eighteen pounds per annum that the miners
objected; but to the manner in which it was levied and enforced.
The diggers did not like to be so often accosted by a body of armed men,
and compelled to show a piece of paper--in the event of them not having
it about them, to be dragged off to the court, and fined five pounds.
After some show of opposition to this tax--or rather to the way of
enforcing it--had begun to exhibit itself, the government officials
became more industrious than ever at their occupation of
"digger-hunting." A commissioner, with a band of mounted troopers,
might have been seen out every day--scouring the country far and near,
and commanding every man they met to produce his licence. Not
unfrequently an honest miner would be required to exhibit the
disagreeable document as often as four or five times a day!
The diggers soon got tired of this sort of thing, which was enough to
have exasperated men of a more tranquil tone of mind, than gold-diggers
usually are.
Meetings were called and attended by many hundreds of miners, at which
strong resolutions were passed; to resist the arrest of any man, who
should be taken up for not having a gold licence.
These resolutions could not be effectually carried into effect, without
some organisation amongst those who had passed them.
This was to a certain extent accomplished; by about four hundred diggers
forming themselves into an organised band, and commencing to drill and
discipline in a sort of military fashion.
Thinking the wrongs of the diggers a sufficient justification for this
action on their part, I joined one of the companies thus formed--with
the full determination to assist, as far as lay in my power, in the
removal of the injustice complained of.
I did not think there was anything in English law--properly understood
and administered--that would allow thousands of men to be constantly
hunted, harassed and insulted by bands of armed police, demanding to see
a piece of paper; but perhaps my experience of the way "justice" was
administered at Avoca, had something to do in guiding my resolution to
resist it at Ballarat.
At our meetings, the diggers indignantly declared their determination to
overthrow the system that made them game for the minions of the
Government; and to prove that they were in earnest in what they said,
many of them were seen to tear up their licences upon the spot, and
light their pipes with the torn fragments of the paper!
From that time, whenever an attempt was made by the police to arrest a
man without a licence, it was resisted by large mobs of diggers; and on
two or three occasions both police and troopers were compelled to
retreat to their encampment.
The police force on Ballarat was soon increased in number; and a large
body of regular troops was sent up from Melbourne.
The diggers saw that they could no longer oppose this force, without
maintaining a body of their own men in arms; and for this purpose a
select number was chosen, who, having been regularly organised into
companies, formed a camp on the Eureka lead.
Some of the lying officials of the government have represented this camp
to have been strongly fortified--the lie being propagated to secure them
greater credit, for their bravery in capturing it!
The statement was altogether untrue. The Eureka stockade was nothing
more than an inclosure formed with slabs of timber--such as were used to
wall in the shafts sunk on wet leads--and could no more be called a
fortification, than the hurdles used by farmers for penning up a flock
of sheep.
The importance attached to the movement, on the part of the government
officials, was ludicrous in the extreme.
Martial law was proclaimed in Ballarat; and several hundred pounds were
expended in filling bags of sand, and fortifying the Treasury at
Melbourne--about one hundred miles from the scene of the _emeute_!
The idea of the diggers marching to Melbourne, and molesting the
Government property there, was simply ridiculous. The authorities must
have held an opinion of the men they governed, not very complimentary to
the liege subjects of Her Majesty.
Because the miners objected to being hunted and worried for a piece of
paper--proving that they had paid eighteen pounds per annum of tax, more
than any other class of the population--the Government officials seemed
to think that a causeless rebellion had broken out, which threatened to
overthrow the whole British Empire; and which nothing but low scheming
and barbarous action could quell.
Thousands of ounces of gold were lying on deposit in the Escort Office
at Ballarat; yet had the mutineers taken the place, I am confident this
treasure would have been protected, and restored to its rightful owners.
But there was no intention on the part of the diggers, either to touch
Ballarat, or its gold. They only maintained an armed body at the Eureka
Stockade, because they could in no other way resist the raids of the
troopers who were sent out licence-hunting. They were as innocent of
all intention to overthrow the Government; "loot" the Escort Office at
Ballarat; or march upon Melbourne, as babes unborn.
Their only object was to have English law properly administered to them;
or rather, to resist the violation of it by the minions who had been
appointed to its execution.
This the Government might have learnt--and probably did learn--from the
policemen disguised as diggers, who took part in the proceedings at the
Eureka Stockade, for these communicated all they learnt, and no doubt a
good deal more, to the officials in the Government camp.
Volume Three, Chapter XI.