The political timidity and indecision of Mr. La Trobe, worthy
man as he otherwise was, gave practically life and soul to this
anti-popular party, which laboured, more secretly perhaps than openly,
to avert or modify, for the time being at least, the political
concession expected from the Imperial Parliament. Mr. La Trobe's view
evidently was, that if the colonials kicked so strongly when under
bonds, how much more furiously must they kick when the bonds were
removed. But, as reasonable persons might have predicted, and as was
promptly experienced, the colonists kicked because they were bound, and
when unbound they did not kick at all.
The same political feature, and even in more resolute form, had then
developed also at Sydney, where Mr. Wentworth led the "upper ten," for
the protection of authority against levelling radicalism. He and his
party, out-Heroding Herod, and being more governmental than the
Government, seriously contemplated a limitation of the franchise to a 50
pounds rental, and the institution of a Colonial Peerage, as a permanent
slap in the face to the ugly Democracy. Had he carried his views, or
even some considerable approach to them, his influence with the party,
and his bull-dog courage, would soon have put his colony into an uproar,
and possibly even into civil war.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142