Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/132

 vexatiously; but still, as there were many who endeavoured to elude the paying of the license fee, it was necessary that a continual watch should be kept over the diggers. To the licensed digger was granted a power to change his locality as often as he pleased during the month. As long, therefore, as the generality of the find of gold on the plains was remunerative, no discontent was felt in paying for the monthly renewing of the license fee; but when some, with less fortune, sank claim after claim, and found but little gold, then the tax was deemed oppressive,—and in that motley crowd of all nations in the world many were found whose ideas of liberty and the restraint of a Government were limited. These malcontents used every means in their power to fan the flame. It happened also that other abuses crept in, and many of the Commissioners, being inexperienced and unable to cope with the difficulties which beset them, did not or could not act with prudence suitable to the occasion, or entirely free from partiality.

Although much might be said on both sides of the question, there is still little doubt that abuses of authority did occur, as well as acts in defiance of that authority, which perhaps exasperated the power, and caused it to be used to its limit, which was at once set down by the factious as tyrannical and oppressive. Every exertion was made to check those evils; but all was unavailing, for the spirit of disaffection was abroad, and could not be so easily