, the introduction of responsible government. The same
despatch contained a still more important concession, authorizing the
Lieutenant-Governor to devote the remaining part of the land
revenue--viz., that arising from sales and pastoral licenses--"to the
purposes rendered urgent by the present crisis." As this fund was
jealously reserved by the existing constitutions of the Australian
colonies, and devoted, under the provisions of the Crown Land Sales Act,
exclusively to the purposes of emigration and public works, it will be
seen that the Colonial Office took a strong step in sanctioning its
diversion. But it must be observed that the expenditure of this
additional fund was placed exclusively in the hands of the
Lieutenant-Governor and his Executive Council, acting independently of
the Colonial Legislature.
With this assistance, the Lieutenant-Governor struggled on amid
increasing difficulties till the spring of the year 1853. By this time
the agitation against the license fee had reached an alarming height,
for the first successes of the new discoveries had passed away, and,
although the export of gold continued to increase, it was by no means at
its former rate nor in proportion to the increase of population.
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