Meanwhile, more disturbances had occurred. Though a commission upon the
general condition of the gold-fields was holding its inquiries, in
November many diggers again refused to pay the reduced license fees,
and, on the 30th of the month, a serious riot took place. The military
were called out, the Riot Act was read, and there was some shooting.
Eight captures were made, but the lesson had not been severe enough, and
a state of open war ensued. The diggers intrenched themselves in a
fortified camp known as the "Eureka Stockade," openly drilled their
forces in the presence of the authorities, and levied horses and rations
from unwilling miners in the name of a "commander-in-chief." At the same
time they issued a long political manifesto, which, while it did not
avowedly disclaim allegiance to the Crown, contained proposals to which
no regularly constituted government could ever have assented.
The Governor at once ordered all the available military force to
Ballarat; but, before reinforcements arrived, the coolness and
promptitude of Captain Thomas--the officer in command of the troops on
the Ballarat gold-field when the riot of November 30th took place--had
nipped the insurrection in the bud.
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