John Quiggin made the observation that blogs have probably replaced the policy and issue magazines in Australia, but not the mass media. This point is strongly made when browsing through the Australian Periodical Publications 1840-1845 . The 1840s saw more affordable printing presses in Australia, as well as a politically volatile environment in the run-up to New South Wales and Victorian self-government. Political commentators of all stripes sought to add their voice to public debate through periodicals. This is the historical thread that connects colonial Australian political commentary to the self-publishing explosion we see today.

Enfranchisement Arden's Sydney magazine of politics and general literature contains an article on the informal nature of the Executive . The Rum Corps was not so far in Australia's past that its monopoly on executive, military, civil, judicial and economic power had been forgotten.

The Executive Council might be advantageously enlarged, and divided after the manner of the Queen's Privy Council, into sections, such as the Judicial, the Commercial, the Financial and the generally Administrative. Such a divisions would prove of great service to the Governor in giving executive features to Acts which entrusted to him for administration; in framing bills for the consideration of the council, and in exercising his authority in the appointment, suspection, of dismissal of officers.

Deniehy's Bunyip Aristocracy speech was yet to come, but the squattocracy was a well-used term to describe the inequity in the granting of land, and the structure of the Legislative Council.

With regard to the Legislative Council: the principles on which the elective franchise is distributed, is considered by many inequitable, and should be made a point of early consultation amongst the Members of the Council. This remark, we are of opinion, will be found to hold good, both regarding the description of electors and of electoral districts.

First, it is a question deserving of weighty examination, whether the squatters should not be qualified as electors in right of, and in proportion to, the taxes which they contribute directly, and indirectly to the general revenue.

Secondly, the district of Port Phillip, as it is now provided for, returns five members to the Colonial Parliament, from a constituency not exceeding a thousand, while the town of Melbourne, with is five thousand electors, has only one representative.

While this was written before Victoria split from NSW, the problem of appointed members of the Legislative Council was not solved until the Wran Government made the Legislative Council an elected body in the 1970s. Malapportionment continues in Australia today; Western Australia still suffers from it.

Minorities

The religiously conservative Sentinel takes a look at judicial oaths , and their use in relation to Quakers.

But the subject may be viewed in another light. Does the frequent use of oaths in the judicial process tend to raise or lower the standard of truth. Is it necessary to establish the credulity of a witness that he should invoke eternal vengeance? Could not the rule of justice be equally well attained by affixing the penalty of perjury to false affirmation?

The legislature has already recognized the principle that it is inexpedient to promote swearing, and in many cases permits the substitution of decelerations for oaths. A practice once universal long lingers in society, even after it has been shown to be useless or pernicious; but the number is daily increasing who believe that the fear of punishment, and not the supposed solemnity of an oath, influences the unprincipled to speak the truth.

This as an article which needed commenting. I would have loved to see their readership's replies and views on the article.

Government Double-speak

The Sydney Record led with long essays of political opinion, consigning news and shipping records to the rear pages. The Sydney Record also contained relatively detailed information, almost Hansard like, on the goings-on of the NSW Legislative Council. The Sydney Record also focused heavily on economics and education.

The Sydney Record on the money bill that was weighted toward the squattocracy;

The Bill if entitled, "A Bill to restore public confidence, and to provide for and regulate the issued and lending of Land Board Notes and Pledge Certificates, and for other purposes contained therein" . The preamble recites that "in consideration of the Monetary Confusion and depreciation of property which prevails throughout the country, it is expedient under certain regulations to assist the colonists individually by the interposition of the credit of the community." We shall presently see how far this specious introduction is carried out.

Provision is then made "for the appointment of Land Board Commissioners, who are to issue Land Board notes and Pledge Certificates on the security of lands in New South Wales." Now as it is very evident that the owners of land only can receive these notes and certificates why were not the words, "land proprietors individually" substituted for "colonists individually" in the preamble. This would have been more honest and straight-forward, and in consuance with the subsequent clauses of the Bill.

I suspect the authors of the Sydney Record would be quite at home in our present environment of deep-linking and blockquote tags.

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