320 THE PASTORAL AGE IN AUSTEALASIA 



was brought about by the same agencies and with the 

 same object. One has only to examine the map in 

 order to conclude that that great squatting area, with 

 Sir Samuel McCaughey's opulent principaHty in its 

 centre, is a predestined province of Victoria, as it is, 

 for all practical purposes, already Victorian. But 

 Dr. Lang had nothing to do with the decision. He was 

 absent in England between the years 1846 and 1850, 

 when the decision Avas taken, and his voice to the 

 contrary, had it been heard at the Colonial Office, 

 where he was not a persona grata, would have done more 

 harm than good. The real authors of it were the 

 squatting members of the Legislative Council of New 

 South Wales, with Wentworth at their head, doubtless 

 aided by the Sydney merchants, who hoped to control 

 the exports and monopolize the imports of the province. 

 It certainly is a fact that it was strongly urged by 

 Bishop Broughton, who was supported by his old fellow- 

 townsman and ever-loyal henchman. Governor Gipps. 

 Nor is it false that, as Mr. Rusden states. Governor 

 Gipps, the anti-squatting Governor, recommended the 

 Murray as the boundary to the Home Government ; 

 but the impression one receives is that Gipps acted as 

 he did from comradeship, and did not realise that he 

 was playing into the hands of the squatting majority 

 in the Council.* 



Early in the sixties broke out the long-nursed reaction 

 against the pastoralists, their social predominance, their 

 admmistrative influence, their poHtico-commercial pohcy. 

 As an immediate outcome of it, in 1863 Sir James Martin 

 formed the first Protectionist ministry, and in the 

 Assembly he carried a motion in favour of the imposition 

 of Protectionist customs' duties. The eloquent Irish- 

 man — hke Mr. Gladstone, he " could not help being 

 eloquent " — made a lofty defence of his proposals. He 

 thought that " this most magnificent territory, teeming 

 with the elements of every kind of wealth . . . Avas in- 

 tended for other purposes than a sheep-walk, like a vast 



* Rusden, History of Australia, ii. 202-3, 379 (second od.). 



