90 AUSTRALASIA ILLUSTRATED. 



throughout the pastoral districts, and the unfortunate stock-owners were saved at the 

 last moment from absolute ruin. A new trade was thus established with Europe, and 

 the export of tallow, hides and skins, which originated in the collapse of local business 

 operations, began to take rank among the permanent sources of colonial wealth. Following 

 immediately on the introduction of the boiling-down industry came also that of meat- 

 preserving, which was begun on a small scale by Mr. Sizar Elliott, and has since 

 developed into an important and lucrative business. 



Politics at this time gave rise to a bitter struggle. Certain Crown Lands Regulations 

 which Sir George Gipps had framed and issued in 1844, provoked determined opposition 

 on the part of the squatters, whose views were advocated by Wentworth and Lowe. 

 Their opposition did not confine itself to the Council, but was carried on in the Press 

 with a degree of animus which must have told severely on the Governor. His proposal 

 to tax the holders of Crown lands was denounced as tyranny, the argument being as 

 stated by Wentworth that " the right claimed by the Government of imposing arbitrary 

 and unlimited imposts for the occupation of Crown lands affected the vital interests of 

 the whole community, and rendered the right of imposing taxes by the representatives 

 of the people almost nugatory." To that argument Gipps replied that " to take a pay- 

 ment for the use of Crown lands is not to impose a tax." The constitutional question 

 thus raised by Wentworth attracted universal attention, and the Governor found himself 

 engaged in a struggle with the whole community. His license fees for the occupation 

 of Crown lands were compared with the ship-money which King Charles attempted to 

 levy and which Hampden resisted ; and the contest itself was termed a question between 

 prerogative and the liberty of the people. The ultimate result was that the Council 

 refused to renew the Land Act framed by Gipps, which had been passed for one year 

 only, and the Governor's land policy was at an end. Sir George Gipps closed his career 

 in New South Wales in July, 1846, and died in England the following February. The 

 present Government House was built during his Administration, and was first occupied 

 in May, 1843. Sir Maurice O'Connell, Commander of the military forces, administered 

 the Government of the colony for a few weeks after Sir George Gipps had sailed. 



SIR CHART. i-:s AUGUSTUS FITZROV. 



Sir Charles Fitzroy arrived in Sydney at a time when the colony had entered on 

 an era of prosperity hitherto unknown in its history. He was the first of our Governors 

 who had enjoyed the advantage of previous experience in a like capacity, having held 

 office in Prince Edward's Island, and also in Antigua. That experience, no doubt, largely 

 contributed to the success of his Administration ; and his tact, good temper, and 

 moderation, combined with his knowledge of constitutional government, enabled him to 

 avoid collision with, contending parties. In the first speech he addressed to the Legisla- 

 tive Council on its meeting in September, 1846, a month after his arrival, he 

 congratulated its members on the general prosperity of the country a prosperity the 

 more remarkable, inasmuch as the colony was "only just emerging from those difficulties 

 which were experienced under that monetary depression which affected all classes of the 

 community." Among the many striking evidences of the new life which had been infused 

 into the colony at this time, mainly as a result of free immigration and the rapid 



