Amongst the candidates for the appointment of Delegate from the League were some two or three of higher social positions, more general ability, and likely to be more acceptable to the public than M r . King; but he was strong with the Scotch influence, and the Caledonian preponderance in the Council carried the day. T h e Argus was loud in sounding his praises, and great were the predictions risked on his behalf, none of which were realized, for as a Delegate he was far from a success. H e resigned the T o w n Clerkship, and on the 29th March a thinly-attended public meeting was held under the presidency of the Mayor, when, on the motion of Mr. W . Kerr, seconded by Mr. G Annand, an Anti-transportation Address to the Queen was adopted, with the presentation of which the Delegate was specially charged. Mr. King departed on his mission, duly accredited, but little came of it. probably in consequence of the wonderful and unexpected changes wrought during the year, which rendered a H o m e Delegation unnecessary, and any revival of transportation to N e w South Wales, or its introduction to Port Phillip, an utter impossibility. Such was another of the m a n y important results evolved from the bowels of the earth by the gold discoveries. T h e League's Council Meetings were atfirstheld with the public locked out, but in April admittance was conceded to the Press. T h e motto of the colony was an absolute " N o surrender;" there should, would, and could be no terms m a d e with the e n e m y — n o quarter, no treaty, no capitulation—the convicts were to be kept out at any and all hazards. A n d so the months flew b y — t h e autumn passed, and the winter came, and with it the official Declaration of the Independence of the new Colony of Victoria. N o real symptoms of the yellow fever yet, but thefirstProvincial General Election was coming on, and here the League worked hard to induce the people to m a k e " Transportation " a test pledge with the candidates. Agents were appointed to stump the country, the most notable of them being the mercurial and inflexible, though hot-tongued Captain Harrison. T h e Executive Board of the Australasian League offered a gold medal of the value of ,£10 10s. for an Australasian anthem, capable of being set to music. Yet no bard sufficiently inspired to take the prize appeared. A n Address from the League bearing the signature of "William Westgarth, H o n . Secretary," was issued, imploring the electors of Victoria to return no candidate who was not a m e m b e r of the Confederation. In this manifesto the grave question at issue told with m u c h effect. " O u r Legislative Assembly," it justly remarked, "Is our strong right arm in this sacred cause, both because that body stands forth amongst us as a great public example, and because it is the constituted channel by which the views of the colonists are given and recognized by the parent country. Suffer us to hope, then, that on the exercise of your electoral franchise, you will guard against the admission of any advocate of 'Transportation' in any shape or fprm, or under any n a m e whatsoever, to a seat in our future Legislature. It is n o w in your power to secure that your representatives shall be of one voice and one mind with you on this great question. Let every candidate be questioned as to his views on this cardinal point. Let no m a n enter the Council Chamber respecting whosefidelitythere exists even the shadow of a doubt." T h e appeal to the people resulted as expected, for the verdict of the constituencies was an emphatic declaration against the reception of imported convictism in any possible form, or under any circumstances whatever. But an ally appeared from another quarter, so formidable in its kind as to place it effectually beyond the power of the Imperial Government, to evermore even dream of transplanting convicted British crime to this portion of the Australian Continent. B y the commencement of 1852, the fame of the wonderful gold-fields of Ballarat and M o u n t Alexander was being wafted on the wings of " the Fourth Estate " to every region of the civilized world, and Victoria was becoming the scene of attraction towards which h u m a n eyes turned, and hearts throbbed by tens of thousands. T h e evil spirit of "Transportation" was at length and effectually exorcised by the wand of the gold enchanter, and the ten years' war so gallantly waged by Port Phillip against the insidious and pertinacious foe of the young Commonwealth, was brought to a triumphant termination.
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