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There　was　no　breakfast　for　the　poor　state　prisoners；　in　chains；　and　lying　on　the　bare　ground。　　They　had　some　trouble　before　they　could　obtain　from　the　red…coats　watching　over　them；　and　blowing　heaps　of　smoke　from　stump　pipes；　a　drop　of　cold　waterI　mean　actually　a　drop　of　cold　water。

Good　reader；　you　know　WHOM　I　did　bless；　whom　I　did　curse。




Chapter　LXXV。



Petite；　Sed　Non　Accipietis；　Quia　Petistis。


The　following　document；　which　does　honour　and　justice　to　its　writer；　J。　Basson　Humffray；　to　4500　of　our　fellow…miners　of　Ballaarat；　who　signed　it；　to　the　state　prisoners　themselves；　is　now　here　transcribed　as　necessary　to　the　purpose　of　this　book。


THE　BALLAARAT　DELEGATES；　AND　THEIR　INTERVIEW　WITH　HIS　EXCELLENCY　SIR　CHARLES　HOTHAM；　K。C。B。；　&c

The　public　has　already　seen　the　written　reply　of　His　Excellency　to　the　petition　from　Ballaarat；　signed　by　nearly　4500　of　the　inhabitants　of　that　important；　but　'officially'　ridden　place。

We　deem　it　our　duty　to　the　public；　and　especially　to　those　whose　delegates　we　are；　to　state　the　main　reasons　urged　by　us　for　a　general　amnesty；　and　to　make　some　general　remarks　thereon；　and　also　upon　the　reply。　　We　have　delayed　doing　this；　as　we　expected　to　have　returned　immediately　to　Ballaarat；　and　we　did　not　wish　to　forestall　our　intended　statement　at　a　public　meeting；　which　would　have　been　held　on　our　return；　but　as　circumstances　interfere　with　this　arrangement；　we　now　give　our　report。

We　were　very　kindly　and　respectfully　received　by　His　Excellency。

We　thought　it　right　to　state　that　we　repudiated　physical　force　as　a　means　of　obtaining　constitutional　redress；　believing　that　the　British　constitution　had　sufficient　natural　elasticity　to　adapt　itself　to　the　wants　of　the　age；　and　would　yield　under　proper　pressure。　　But　the　arming　of　the　diggers　of　Ballaarat；　however　reprehensible　it　might　have　been　in　itself；　claims　to　be　judged　on　special　grounds；　inasmuch　as　they　had　special　provocation。　The　diggers　of　Ballaarat　were　attacked　by　a　military　body　under　the　command　of　civil　（！）　officers；　for　the　production　of　licence…papers；　and；　if　they　refused　to　be　arrested；　deliberately　shot　at。　　The　diggers　did　not　take　up　arms；　properly　speaking；　against　the　government；　but　to　defend　themselves　against　the　bayonets；　bullets；　and　swords　of　the　insolent　officials　in　their　unconstitutional　attack；　who　were　a　class　that　would　disgrace　any　government；　by　their　mal…administration　of　the　law。

The　diggers　did　not　take　up　arms　against　British　rule；　but　against　the　mis…rule　of　those　who　were　paid　to　administer　the　law　properly；　and　however　foolish　their　conduct　might　be；　it　was　an　ungenerous　libel　on　the　part　of　one　of　the　military　officers　to　designate　outraged　British　subjects　as　'foreign　anarchists　and　armed　ruffians。'

The　diggers　were　goaded　on　to　take　the　stand　they　did　by　the　'digger…hunt；'　of　the　30th　November；　which；　we　are　sustained　in　saying；　was　a　base　piece　of　gold　and　silver　lace　revenge。　　Facts　will　no　doubt　appear　by…and…bye；　elucidating　and　confirming　this　statement。

We　reminded　His　Excellency　of　the　fact；　that　the　public　had　asked　for　or　sanctioned　a　general　amnesty；　and　although　we　were　prepared　to　admit　that　it　was　unbecoming　the　dignity　of　any　government　to　give　way　to　what　was　termed　'popular　clamour；'　yet；　in　this　case；　the　good　and　the　wise　amongst　all　classes；　forming　a　very　large　proportion　of　the　inhabitants；　had　asked　for　it；　and　we　thought　the　general　wish　should　not　be　lightly　treated。　　His　Excellency　observed；　〃Certainly　not。〃　We　argued　that　an　amnesty　would　restore　general　confidence；　and　secure　support　to　the　government　in　any　emergency；　and；　even　supposing　there　was　any　one　in　the　movement　who　sought　to　overturn　the　government；　instead　of　overturning　corruption；　and　establishing　a　better　system　of　administration；　a　general　amnesty　would　silence　such；　as　the　great　majority　of　the　diggers　were　content　to　live　under　British　law；　if　properly　administered；　and　every　one　knows　there　has　been　much　to　condemn　in　the　administration　of　the　laws；　on　the　Ballaarat　gold…fields　especially；　and　we　endeavoured　to　impress　upon　the　mind　of　the　Lieutenant…Governor；　that　it　was　equally　true　that　the　majority　of　those　who　were　proud　of　being　British　subjects；　were　growing　tired　of　waiting　for　simple　justice。　And　if　the　executive　wish　to　secure　their　confidence　and　support；　they　must　give　better　evidence　of　their　good　intentions　of　making　better　laws；　or　laws　better　suited　to　the　wants　of　the　people；　and　securing　'equal　justice　to　all。'　　Their　recent　conduct　has　created　disaffection　amongst　the　ranks　of　the　best　disposed；　in　fact；　those　who　disapproved　of　the　resort　to　arms　on　the　part　of　the　diggers；　condemn　in　the　most　unqualified　manner　the　conduct　of　the　Ballaarat　officials　in　collecting　a　tax　（obnoxious　at　the　best）　at　the　bayonet's　point；　and　of　the　late　Colonial　Secretary；　who　could　unblushingly　write　to　Commissioner　Rede　（who　superintended　the　digger…hunt　on　the　30th　November；　and；　no　doubt；　counselled　the　Sunday　morning's　butchery）；　thanking　him　for　his　conduct　on　those　occasions！　And　that　if　His　Excellency　would　allow　us　to　strip　the　matter　of　its　official　colouring；　he　would　see　things　in　a　very　different　light　than　they　had　been　officially　represented。

That　an　amnesty　would　not　only　secure　the　confidence　of　the　people　in　the　Governor；　but　it　would　show　the　confidence　of　the　Governor　in　the　peopleit　would　be　looked　upon　as　a　proof　of　the　strength　and　vigour　of　the　British　constitution；　instead　of　weakness　in　those　that　administer　the　laws　under　its　guidance。

That　His　Excellency　could　well　afford　to　be　generous。

That；　in　asking　for　an　amnesty；　we　were　aware　it　was　asking　for　much；　and　what　a　statesman　should　not　do　without　due　deliberation。　　But　at　the　same　time；　we　submitted　we　did　not　ask　anything　inconsistent　with　the　true　interests　of　the　colony；　or　derogatory　to　the　dignity　and　honour　of　the　throne　itself。

That　a　general　amnesty　to　the　state　prisoners　would　tend　much　to　consolidate　the　power　of　the　British　government　in　this　colony；　and　show　that　the　representative　of　Majesty　here　can　afford　to　be　justto　be　generous；　with　the　full　confidence　that　such　an　act　would　meet　with　the　full　concurrence　of　the　Queen　of　England；　and　the　approbation　of　the　whole　British　empire。　　That　in　this　he　would　act　wiser　far　in　listening　to　the　voice　of　the　people　than　to　the　short…sighted　counsel　of　the　law…advisers　of　the　Crown。　　Humanity　has　higher　claims　than　the　mere　demands　and　formalities　of　human　law。

We　forbear　saying　all　that　might　be　said　as　to　the　spies　being　sent　from　the　Camp　to　enrol　themselves　amongst　the　insurgents；　and　who；　report　says；　urged　them　to　attack　the　Camp；　which　was　repudiated　by　the　diggersthey　saying　they　would　act　upon　the　defensive。

That　we　believed　the　enforcement　of　the　law　in　this　case　would　have　the　most　pernicious　effect；　not　only　upon　the　commerce　of　the　colony；　but　would　retard；　if　not　prevent；　the　accomplishment　of　those　schemes　of　reform　that　His　Excellency　had　promised。

That　if　he　valued　the　good　opinions　of　the　peoplethe　peace　and　prosperity　of　the　colony；　he　would　be　giving　the　best　evidence　of　it　by　granting　the　amnesty　we　prayed　for；　but　that；　if　His　Excellency　punished　these　men；　it　would　be　calling　into　existence　an　agitation　which　would；　we　feared；　end　in　civil　commotion；　if　not　in　the　disseverance　of　the　colony　from　the　mother　country。

That　we　thought　there　were　reasons　sufficiently　important　to　justify　an　amnesty；　on　the　grounds　of　state　policy　alone。

But　even　supposing　there　were　no　legitimate　grounds　for　an　amnesty；　and　that　the　government　have　been　right　in　all　that　they　have　donewhich　would　be　saying　what　facts　do　not　warrantsurely　the　slaughter　of　some　fifty　people　is　blood　enough　to　expiate　far　greater　crimes　than　the　diggers　of　Ballaarat　have　been　guilty　of；　without　seeking　the　lives　of　thirteen　more　victims。　　The　government　would　act　wisely　in　not　pursuing　so　suicidal　a　course。

His　Excellency　states；　in　his　written　reply；　that　the　diggers；　notwithstanding　his　promise　of　inquiry　into　all　their　grievances；　had　forestalled　all　inquiry。

On　this　head；　we　would　wish　to　remark；　that　the　fault　lies　at　the　door　of　the　government；　in　prostituting　the　military；　by　making　them　tax　collectors；　and　placing　them　at　the　disposal　of　a　few　vain　officials；　who　were　not　over…stocked　with　brains；　and　ignorant　of　the　functions　of　constitutional　government。　　But　one　fact　they　seemed　fully　sensible　of；　viz。：　　That　'Othello'　occupation　would　indeed　soon　'be　gone；'　and　they　were　determined　to　'crush　the　scoundrels'　who　dared　to　question　the　policy；　or　even　justice；　or　a　government　keeping　up　such　an　expensive　army　of　La　Trobian　idlers　as　strut　about　in　borrowed　plumes　with　all　the　insolence　of　office；　who；　in　fact；　have　proved　themselves；　with　a　few　honourable　exceptions；　fit　for　little　else　than　bringing　the　colony　into　debt；　creating　disaffection　amongst　the　people；　and　stamping　indelible　disgrace　upon　any　government　that　would　uphold　the　system　that　tolerates　them。　　One　of　these　'retiring'　gentlemen　stated　on　the　morning　of　the　famed　'digger…hunt'　of　the　30th　November；　in　reply　to　one　of　the　refractory　diggers：　〃If　you　do　not