James Francis

THE EUREKA STOCKADE.

An interesting discussion took pises last evening at the meeting of the Lydiard street Wesleyan M.I.A., on the question “were the diggers justified in taking up arms at the Eureka stockade?” The chair was occupied by Mr D. J. Wheal, president of the association, and there was a very good attendance of members and visitors. The debate was opened by Mr W. Harrison, president of the Trades’ Council, who entered very fully into the particulars of the events leading up to the stockade. He maintained that' ths diggers had been too oppressed, and, being unrepresented in the Legistature, they would not have been men if tiny had not stood up for their rights as they had done. They were quits justified in taking up arms. Mr Crowe, on the other side, urged that there was no justification for the diggers to rebel against constituted authority. The men in Victoria had been much better treated than in California, where as high a fee as 30 dollars a month had been demanded from foreigners. in Victoria everybody had been eqally dealt with. The avowed object of Peter Lalor had been to form a republic. (Hear, hear.) He had himself heard Vern, one of the leaders, address a meeting in the Main road and urge the diggers to proclaim a republic, with Lalor as the first president. There had never been any general feeling among the diggers in favor of the outbreak. The and order party had withdrawn early from the movement. Besides, with the class of people about the diggings at the time, a stern rule was absolutely neces sary. He believed that if there one man who had taken part in those stirring times who deserved to he remembered in Ballarat it was Mr J. B. Humffray. Mr James Francis, an old Ballarat digger thought the miners were not justified in their action. He gave some reminiscences, and said the question of the day seemed to be who fired the first shot. He had seen the smoke from the first shot from the diggers' side, then some five more shots, and then smoke from the shots by the military. He could produce three living witnesses in Bal-larat to prove this. If the diggers had not burnt their licences or erected the stockade they would have had the same concessions granted them without loss of life. Mr D N. M'Lean was applauded when he championed the cause of the diggers, and said that there were liberties above those granted Governments. The diggers were justified in resorting to force when they knew that a policy of moral persuasion was insufficient. J. A. Smith and Mr F. Williams considered the diggers were not justified in their action. Mr Kelly, who was in Ballarat at the time of the fight, thought both the diggers the Government were to blame. Mr Yelland also rotated some early experiences, and elded against the stockaders. Mr replying, said the first shot in the stockade fight was fired by a man named Rumble Mr Harrison also replied on the other side and the proceeding closed with the singing of tho doxology.