114 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



man had ever seen in New South Wales, interspersed with fine 

 rivers and creeks, with illimitable grassy downs, and comprising 

 an indefinite extent of fine land fit for any purpose. The report 

 winds up with a list of the members of the Association, and an 

 intimation that within a year they will send over fully 20,000 

 sheep, under the charge of married men of good character, who 

 shall be accompanied by their families, and whose spiritual welfare 

 shall be looked after by a minister with whose stipend the Associa- 

 tion is prepared to charge itself. Truly a promising and highly 

 respectable scheme of real colonisation, though it failed to win the 

 appreciation of the authorities. Immediately after this report was 

 handed in, the Association realised that in thus addressing Governor 

 Arthur they would probably awaken the jealousy of the Governor 

 of New South Wales, and, greatly daring, they hastened to address 

 the Secretary of State for the Colonies only two days later. They 

 forwarded him a copy of the report, and they took a firm stand in 

 asserting that the territory they had purchased was " some hundred 

 miles beyond the jurisdiction of New South Wales ". The despatch 

 is signed by the whole fifteen members of the Association, and 

 confidently relies upon the Crown relinquishing any legal or con- 

 structive right to the land in question, especially as any other 

 course would result in depriving the confiding natives of the tribute 

 which had been secured to them for ever. This last shot was 

 expected to tell with the humanitarians, but it was not appreciated 

 in dry political circles. The course of post to England was long 

 enough in those days, and they had to wait for their answer. 

 Meanwhile Governor Arthur replied on the 3rd of July to the effect 

 that, while greatly interested in and highly gratified by the results 

 of the expedition, he believed the recognition of the rights supposed 

 to have been acquired by purchase from the natives would be a 

 departure from the practice sanctioned by the British Parliament. 

 Consequently, while he promised to forward the report to his 

 Majesty's Government, and to vouch for the respectability and 

 bona fides of the parties interested, and their humane consideration 

 for the aborigines, he warned them not to incur any expense in 

 reliance upon a confirmation from the Crown of their title to the 

 land. He cited the refusal which Mr. Henty had been met with 



