Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/131

 at the exigency of the moment, the Government placed in positions of trust and authority;—in fact, all was (to continue the metaphor) in an infant state, and needed some experience before its rapid growth could assume a steady bearing as to its internal and political economy.

Government, representing the royalty of England, as by law established, possessed a prerogative sway over all mines of precious metals; and, using this right, passed a law prohibiting the digging of gold under certain rules and provisoes. These were on the onset deemed moderate, and were willingly attended to. The principal feature of the Act was fixing a license tax, whereby no one could dig for gold without paying the sum of 30s. per month for the same. Each claim was measured where the digger wished, but restricted to 12 feet square; but if not occupied or dug upon within four-and-twenty hours after being measured for the first claimant, his right therein was forfeited; still, he might choose any other locality under the same rule.

To the different localities where the gold was supposed to exist were appointed Commissioners, with large salaries, who issued the license fees, and superintended the carrying out the provisions of the Act. Power was granted to the Commissioners to direct the police force to visit daily, or as often as they pleased, the diggers, and compel them to show their licenses,—a power which was but too often used