Brought in of 'Died by the visitation of
God;' the said visitation of God having, in this instance, assumed the
somewhat peculiar form of a fractured skull!"
This is a true picture of Melbourne; but whether the "Argus" is
justified in reproaching the "La Trobe dynasty" with it, is quite
another matter.
In pages like these, anything resembling an argument on the
"transportation question," would be sadly out of place. To avoid
thinking or hearing it was impossible, for during my second stay in
Melbourne, it was a never-failing subject of conversation. In Victoria
(which is only forty-eight hours' journey from Van Diemen's Land), I
have seen the bad results of the mingling of so many transports and
ticket-of-leave men among the free population. On the other hand, I
have heard from many and good authorities, of the substantial benefits
conferred on Sydney and New South Wales by convict labour. It is
difficult to reconcile these two statements, and it is an apple of
discord in the colonies.
Whilst in Victoria, I met with a great variety of emigrants, and I was
much struck by the great success that seems to have attended on almost
all of those who came out under the auspices of Mrs. Chisholm.
