which is the motive power of political life. Municipal institutions awaken no enthusiasm.

Secondly, the character of the immigration to Victoria, especially after the gold discoveries, tended in the direction of centralism. The immigrants were chiefly men whose ideal was a town life, with its excitements and conveniences. Many of them had no inducement to settle in the country. They had no children to start. They cared nothing for agriculture. Victorian scenery was not attractive. So, when the gold rush waned, they gravitated back to and by their presence increased the towns. And as more immigrants came, they all passed into the arena of Melbourne, many of them never passing out of it. Even from the very first, but most decidedly from 1855, the note of Victoria has been town life, and especially Melbourne life. And it is only lately, and under the influence of powerful inducements, that a country population has begun to radiate from the towns.

But, thirdly, the character of the country itself has had much to do with the intense centralism. A country which contains many mountains and impassable rivers, dense forests and wide lakes, which is also infested with physical dangers, is the country of local government. The scattered settlements are cut off from one another by substantial boundaries, and their members do not lightly risk the dangers of travel. They find their interests at home, and devote their attention to the regulation of them. But such dangers have never been great in Victoria. There have been, and still are, it is true, large extents of forest in which an inexperienced traveller may easily lose his way. But the mountains are few, the rivers and lakes insignificant, and there are broad plains of boundless extent across which, even before the days of roads and railways, it was easy for travellers to make their way. Consequently there was always a tendency, for such settlers as had actually gone out into the wilderness, to gravitate back again to Melbourne.

Finally, a most important factor has been the character of the immigration. If tradition speaks the truth, the ancient immigrations into Western Europe were by tribes of kindred blood, who settled down upon the new lands in spontaneously formed groups representing the old blood relationships. And

PROSPECTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

383

so the local groups appeared long before the large political aggregates were formed out of them. But there was no such process in Victoria. Although in some cases the immigrants were sent out by government agency, there was no cohesion amongst them. They came as individuals, not as groups. Those who settled in villages bought their land at the Government sales, or selected it at the Government land office, and went to strangers, as well as to a strange land. It is not wonderful, therefore, that the spirit of local cohesion should have been singularly absent all through the history of Victoria, and that no local organisation should have grown up at all able to balance the central organisation at Melbourne.

But some of these causes have already disappeared, and others are disappearing. As the population settles down and forms local ties, as children grow up who learn to look upon particular places as their homes, as more capital is invested in rural industries, as the habit of local co-operation under municipal government increases, above all, as the patrimony still at the disposal of the central government is distributed, and the localities no longer look to the Treasury for continual help, a spirit of local independence will arise. With the pressure of population upon the means of subsistence, people will find the advantage of developing local resources. And thus their attention and their ambitions will be turned more and more in the direction of that part of the government machinery which immediately affects their interests. Then, when this has happened, the full importance of municipal government will be appreciated, and municipal government will begin seriously to compete in influence and attractiveness with the central power. It will then be seen that a highly-centralised form of government is really inconsistent with democratic ideals. For the true democracy, in which each citizen takes a direct share in the business of government, or at any rate of legislation, cannot be worked over large areas. To adapt it to the enlarged conditions of modern communities it has been necessary to admit the principle of representation. And, after all, representation is either merely a makeshift, or it is aristocracy disguised.

And it is probable that if an increased interest in municipal government does come, it will be followed by demands

for increased municipal powers. The restrictions on municipal legislation will be removed, the control of the local police, the appointment of the local judiciary, will be demanded. And gradually the central government will be deprived of all those matters which are not obviously of universal concern, such as railways, posts, telegraphs, and the like. For when there is no common danger to be feared, the tendency towards localism generally appears, especially in democracies.

And if the tendency should manifest itself to any substantial degree, it is easy to see how it will work against the Cabinet system. For as the central Parliament sinks in importance, its mere caprice will no longer be allowed to oust a set of officials who are doing their work to the satisfaction of the country. There will come a time when Ministers, their powers being less than now, will decline to retire upon a hostile vote, and the country will approve, or at least tolerate them. And then the permanence of the executive, or, at any rate, its security for a definite period, will be acknowledged. But, in that event, the question of appointment will, of course, assume a new phase, and as the Parliament will no longer be able to oust a Ministry at its pleasure, it will no longer be possible for Ministers to take office in the old way. Possibly the electors will claim to appoint directly the head of the Ministry, leaving him to choose his colleagues, as in America, or the Parliament may formally elect the Ministers, as in Switzerland.

In fine, it may well be doubted whether the Cabinet system is at all suited to a community such as Victoria. It was evolved by a close oligarchy, whose members were keenly susceptible to the influence of tradition and the opinion of their order, who were bound, by the circumstances of the case, to stand by one another, and who were kept constantly on the alert by the fear of political disaster. It has descended to a fortuitous assemblage of unconnected units, having little reverence for tradition and small respect for the opinion of their fellows, bound to one another by no ties save those of immediate and temporary expediency, and living in a peaceful political atmosphere.

APPENDIX A

(Specimen Minute of the Executive Council of N. S. W. in 1837.)

First P. Magistrate, 30th Jan. 1837, 37/2536.

Surveyor-General for
description,
22d Feb. 1837.

Colonial Architect, 31st Jan. 1837.

The Honourable

Inform the 1st Police Magistrate that the Building St. Andrew's Church is shortly to be commenced, and that some other place must be found for the stocks.

Let arrangements be made for conveying the Site for that church to Trustees, as the Bishop of Australia has intimated to me his wish of beginning to build immediately.

Instruct the Colonial Architect to give the Bishop any assistance his Lordship may require in preparing the design of the intended Church. R. B. (i.e. "Richard Bourke.")

The Colonial Secretary

etc.

(Indorsed.)

Surveyor-Gen.-A measurement of this allotment was directed by Col. Sec. letter No. 37/163 and a description requested in order that the same may be conveyed to Trustees under the recent Act. The Surveyor's description is here used and will serve for purposes required. The intended line of George Street has been preserved. Gov. decis. "Let me see a Tracing."

5th Aug. 1837. Surv.-General,

37/7129.

APPENDIX B

(Specimen Minute of the Executive Council of Victoria, 1855.)

Council Chamber, Melbourne.

Present.

14th May 1855.

His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor.

The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. The Hon. the Attorney-General.

Acting Colonial

Treasurer.
Auditor General.

The Council having assembled in accordance with adjournment, the Minute of proceedings on the 10th instant is read and confirmed. At His Excellency's suggestion the discussion of the proposed Rules concerning the exportation of Gold is resumed.

It is advised that Regulations to the following effect be promulgated.

[Here follow the Rules.]

His Excellency lays upon the table a plan furnished by the Surveyor-General showing the township of Ballaarat, and with the advice of the Council approves of the same.

His Excellency informs the Council that he has been requested to appoint Claude Farie, Esq., Chairman of a meeting convened in terms of the Municipal Districts Act, 18 Vic. No. 15, and it is advised that the request made by a Committee of the residents at Prahran be complied with.

The nomination of Trustees for Church of England purposes, viz. at Wangaratta Messrs. G. Faithful, F. G. Docker, Dobbyn, Clark, and Foord; and at Hamilton Messrs. Fetherstonhaugh, Puckle, Nowlan, Graham and Blastock is then with the advice of the Council approved by His Excellency.

Grants of money in aid of the Presbyterian Church as solicited by the Rev. J. Hetherington, Moderator, viz. for (£400) Four Hundred Pounds in aid of a Minister's Dwelling at Tarraville, and for (£296) Two Hundred and Ninety-Six Pounds in aid of a Minister's Salary at Colac, are with the advice of the Council