Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/553

 IP by which the Duke would not allow him to return to head- ciiiarters. Mackintosh conceived fresh hopes, and moved instroctions to the Committee on the Bill for immediate establishment of trial by jmy ; and for election of one-third of the Legislatm^e bj electors having a clear yearly income of £100, and having been free inhabitants for three years. He declared there were 55,000 free Enghshmcn there: Was it wise to wait till they were half a million ? Only Mr, Bigge opposed these innovations ; Mact|imrie had favoured them, Bnt Hnskisson ont of office did not aban- don the views he had held as a Minister. He asked if English immigrants wonid expose life and liberty to the decision of a jury, nine or ten of whom had been convicted criminals. Nothing would so much deter capital and re- spectable members of society. Only Mr. Joseph Hame supported Mackintosh. Others supported Huskisson, Mac- kintosh's amendments were negatived. The Act was to be in force nntil the 31st Dec. 1836. The indignation of the emancipist party, and of the patriots, will be told else- where. In 1824, the creation of the Council to advise thaJ Governor was deferred until the arrival of the Iving's com-' mands appointing the five principal otHcers in the colony to seats in the Council. They were Stewart, the Lt.-Gov.; Forbes, the Chief Justice ; Goulburn, the Colonial Secre- tary ; Bowman, the principal Surgeon ; and Oxley, the Surveyor-General* The appointments w^ere temporary, and Brisbane was desired to forward to Lord Bathurst ** the names of ten of the principal merchants and landholders,'* whom he might consider eligible, '* from which His Majesty will select as many as may be deemed proper." On the 25th Aug. 1824 the first appointees were sworn in (with the exception of Col. Stewart, absent from the colony). The first measure submitted to the Council was one ** to stay proceedings against any person or persons advising, issuing^ or executing any Proelamatioii, Order, or other Act of any Governor or Acting Governor of New South Wales, &c." On the 31 st Aug, 1824 it was postponed. On the 28th Sept. a short Act was passed to make available Promissory Notes and Bills of Exchange made payable m ^-^'am'^ dollars. On the 4th Jan. 1825 lie T]aQB*^Mtfe IciTt ^' ^^a.^^s^%