338 A HISTOKY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



Many smiling faces read this placard on the Town Hall, and 

 in the pride of possession they began to think less enviously of New 

 South Wales. The tone of the local press was generally riotous 

 with the exuberance of expectation. The brilliant future of this 

 favoured land was painted in roseate tints. Leading articles re- 

 minded the colonists that in addition to the "almost unlimited 

 pastoral country, and boundless tracts of rich agricultural land, 

 which would support in peace and comfort countless multitudes 

 of Britain's honest peasantry," they had now rich goldfields within 

 their borders which would attract the adventurous manhood of all 

 the world, and provide a tax-paying population that would ensure 

 an overflowing exchequer! Meanwhile the exciting talk of rich 

 finds, the daily rumours of mysterious visitors to Melbourne with 

 small bags of the precious dust for sale, the secret conspiracies to 

 find out whence they came, and the cunning schemes by which the 

 lucky ones concealed their traces, pushed all other interests into 

 the background. Hence, despite the long struggle for the boon of 

 Parliamentary representations, there was no rush of candidates when 

 the day of nomination approached. The clamour and excitement 

 which ushers in a general election to-day were entirely wanting. 

 No candidates, cap in hand, were soliciting votes, but rather, in the 

 country districts at least, the requisitioning was all on the side of the 

 electors, and it must be admitted that the majority of the members 

 of the first Legislative Council were selected in a haphazard manner, 

 and practically without competition. Melbourne was the only con- 

 stituency that saw anything worthy the name of a contest. Seven 

 candidates were nominated for three seats, and at the election on 

 the llth of September Mr. Wm. Westgarth headed the poll, with 

 John O'Shanassy a good second, and James Stewart Johnston close 

 up. The four who suffered defeat were William Nicholson, Mayor 

 of Melbourne, John Hodgson, Augustus F. A. Greeves, and Captain 

 George Ward Cole, each of whom succeeded in securing a seat in 

 the Council when it was enlarged in 1853. 



Mr. Westgarth had every claim to be recognised by his fellow citi- 

 zens. Though at this time only thirty-six years of age, he had been 

 for at least half a dozen years always to the front in public movements, 

 and by speech and pen had most materially aided the separation 



