VICTORIA AN OFF-SHOOT OF NEW SOUTH WALES.
Separation.— By Act 13 and 14 Vic., c. 59 (5 Aug. 1850), the district of Port Phillip, bounded on the north and northeast by a straight line drawn from Cape Howe to the nearest source of the river Murray, and thence by the course of that river to the eastern boundary of the colony of South Australia, was separated from the colony of New South Wales, ceased to return members to the Legis lative Council of such colony, and was erected into and thenceforth formed a separate colony, "to be known and designated as the colony of Victoria." A Legislative Council was created in and for the new colony having powers and functions similar to those of the newly-organ ized Council of New South Wales. On 1 July 1851, writs for the election of 20 elective mem bers for the Legislative Council of Victoria were issued; 10 were nominated by the Crown. Mr. Latrobe was appointed lieutenant-gov ernor. In this manner the colony of Victoria was called into existence and received the first impulse of an autonomous political life. The new Council was convened for the despatch of business in November 1851, at about the time when gold was being discovered in fabulous quantities in the famous goldfields of Ballarat and Bendigo. The official members were: Mr. W. Lonsdale, Colonial Secretary; Mr. (after ward Sir) W. F. Stawell, Attorney-General; Mr. (afterward Sir) Redmond Barry, Solici tor-General; C. H. Ebden, Auditor-General; and R. W. Pohlman, Chairman of the Court of Requests. J. F. Palmer was elected speaker.
The New Constitution.—A new constitution drawn on the same lines, and passed in the same manner as that of New South Wales, was assented to by Her Majesty on 16 July 1855. The only substantial difference between the two bicameral legislatures was that while the Legislative Council of New South Wales was composed of members nominated by the Crown the members of the Legislative Council of Vic toria were elected by residential inhabitants having high property qualifications.
Responsible Government.— The premier of the first responsible government was W. C. Haines. The first election for the Legislative Assembly took place in the spring of 1856. The first ministry resigned on the passing or an unfavorable resolution upon the subject of the estimates, in March 1859. Sir John O'Shan nassy, the mover of the resolution, then be came Premier.
Administration and Legislation.—Among the problems which soon engaged the attention of the newly-created Parliament of Victoria were those of constitutional reform, manhood suffrage, land and mining legislation, agri culture, protection, and free trade, inter-colo nial relations, public works, railways, tele water supply, immigration, Chinese im migration restriction, naval and military de fense and education.
Among the first administrations which held office in Victoria were those of which William Clark Haines was Premier in 1855-57; 1857-58; Mr. (afterward Sir) John O'Shannassy, Pre mier, 1857; 1858-59; 1861-63; Wm. Nicholson, Premier, 1859-60; Richard Heales, Premier, 1860-61.
In the early days of the goldfields great dis content existed because of the heavy license fee of 30 shillings per month which every digger was required to pay. In November 1854, the tyrannical policy of the government culminated in an open insurrection which broke out at Ballarat. A flag of revolt, having the emblem of the Southern Cross, was hoisted over a barricade known as the "Eureka Stock ade." By command of Governor Sir Charles .Hotham a force of British troops was sent to Ballarat to storm the stockade. Many lives were lost. After this tragic period,— the first and only bloodshed in Australia in the name and for the cause of political freedom,— the grievances of the diggers were redressed.
In 1855 the Legislative Council of the newly-created colony of Victoria led the way in the passage of a number of laws intended to restrict Chinese immigration, which com menced in 1854, when the fame of the gold diggings of Victoria began to attract thousands of Chinamen to that colony. The Victorian Council passed a bill, which was assented to by the governor, to make provision for cer tain immigrants." The substance of the law was that no ship should bring to a Victorian port more passengers, being Chinese immi grants, than in the proportion of one person to every 10 tons of the tonnage of such ship, under a penalty of £10 for each passenger in excess of such proportion. On the arrival of a ship in any port of Victoria with Chinese immigrants on board, the master was required to pay to the collector of customs a tax of flO for every such immigrant. The money so collected was to be invested by the govern ment to form a fund for the relief, support and maintenance of such immigrants. Pro vision was made for the registration of such immigrants, on their arrival in any district or place to which they proceeded. This and other Immigration Acts were consolidated in 1865.