His Excellency States, In His Written Reply, That The Diggers, Notwithstanding His Promise Of Inquiry Into All Their Grievances, Had Forestalled All Inquiry.

On this head, we would wish to remark, that the fault lies at the door of the government, in

Prostituting the military, by making them tax collectors, and placing them at the disposal of a few vain officials, who were not over-stocked with brains, and ignorant of the functions of constitutional government. But one fact they seemed fully sensible of, viz.: That 'Othello' occupation would indeed soon 'be gone,' and they were determined to 'crush the scoundrels' who dared to question the policy, or even justice, or a government keeping up such an expensive army of La Trobian idlers as strut about in borrowed plumes with all the insolence of office; who, in fact, have proved themselves, with a few honourable exceptions, fit for little else than bringing the colony into debt; creating disaffection amongst the people, and stamping indelible disgrace upon any government that would uphold the system that tolerates them. One of these 'retiring' gentlemen stated on the morning of the famed 'digger-hunt' of the 30th November, in reply to one of the refractory diggers: "If you do not pay your licences, how are we to be supported at the Camp?" and further, "There are some disaffected scoundrels I am determine to arrest!" To crush! for what? For daring to refuse to pay taxes except they had a voice in the expending of them for the public weal; public taxes are public property.

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