(afterwards Judge) Pohlman defected upon my anti-transportation
motion for transmission to the Home Government. There was one sole
exception on our elective side (another old personal friend), William
Campbell, of the Loddon, who, uncongenial towards the disturbing
democratic prospect, voted steadily for the Government. On this account,
Edward Wilson, then editing "The Argus", found for him the designation
of "the lost sheep of the Loddon," which, as from the enemy's side, was
no bad piece of humour; and it took its place in the colony's category
accordingly; alongside of Ebden's "disgustingly rich," and possibly
other like humour which I have forgotten.
One of the nominee members, Mr. Dunlop, took me roundly to task for
asserting that, through a mere "accident of law" about "treasure trove"
being, as of old, the property of the Crown, the Government claimed to
confiscate the constitutional rights of one-half of the colonists. I
"explained." But the situation really explained itself. The
common-sense, as well as the political attainment of the day, could not
possibly tolerate such an application of "Old Black Letter" to the
entirely novel and unanticipated circumstances of these great and
populous goldfields.
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