In the body of the hall, the benches were formed of boards, laid from one upturned keg or tub to another.

The chair was taken by a local auctioneer, a cadaverous-looking man, with never a twinkle in his eye, who, in a lengthy discourse and with the single monotonous gesture of beating the palm of one hand with the back of the other, strove to bring home to his audience the degradation of their present political status.

The diggers chewed and spat, and listened to his periods with sang-froid: the shame of their state did not greatly move them.

They followed, too, with composure, the rehearsal of their general grievances.

As they were aware, said the speaker, the Legislative Council of Victoria was made up largely of Crown nominees; in the election of members the gold-seeking population had no voice whatsoever.