in
Swanston, formerly a staunch adherent of Sir G. Arthur, he successfully
moved the rejection of these bills. Their discussion drew forth many
expressions of personal feeling. The governor declared he would not stay
in office one hour did he not believe that Lord Stanley meant fairly by
the colony, or could he not conscientiously act upon his lordship's
instructions; and he begged that all the opprobrium cast on Lord Stanley
might be considered equally applied to himself. He remarked that the
opposition had exhibited a spirit "more radical and even Jacobinical"
than he ever had witnessed in parliamentary factions. These reproaches
were repelled by Mr. Gregson, who contended that in resisting unjust
exactions for convict purposes he was promoting the real interests of
the colonial government. The governor retorted that with such support as
the honorable member afforded he would readily dispense.

When the estimates for the year were presented (August 20th) the country
party insisted on enquiry, and Mr. Dry proposed the appointment of a
committee to ascertain the proportionate burdens transportation imposed.
This motion was rejected by the governor's casting vote. Another, made
for adjournment, to give the members time to investigate the items, met
a similar fate. It was, however, discovered when the estimates were read
that they differed from the copy in the hands of the members. The chief
justice supported a second motion for adjournment, to enable the
colonial secretary to correct these discrepancies. On the re-assembling
of the council (25th) the governor stated that considering the
determination avowed by the members to refuse all items for the expenses
of convictism, and the general state of popular feeling, he had resolved
to pause, and to await the arrival of expected despatches on the subject
of dispute from Lord Stanley, in reply to his own.

Sir E. Wilmot was sensible of the financial burden inflicted by the
convict establishments. A committee of government officers sat shortly
after his arrival, and pointed out the many and large items to be traced
to the prevention and punishment of crime. This report he forwarded to
Lord Stanley. He complained that charges never before thought of were
levied by the commissariat, as well as the full value of convict labor,
and insisted that the expences incurred by the colonists for police
ought in fairness to be defrayed by the crown, or that the labor at its
disposal shou