Daniel Deniehy

“ They might as well expect honour to be paid to the nobles of King Kamehameha, or the ebony earls of the Emperor Soulouque of Hayti.
The aristocracy of England was founded on the sword. The men that came over with William the Conqueror were the masters of the Saxons, and so were the aristocracy. The soldiers of Cromwell were the masters of the Irish, and so became their aristocracy. But he should like to know how Wentworth and his clique had conquered the inhabitants of New South Wales - (great cheering) - except in the artful dodgery of doctoring up a Franchise Bill. ”

“ He protested against the present daring and unheard-of attempt to tamper with a fundamental popular right - that of having a voice in the nomination of men who were to make, or control the making of, laws binding on the community - laws perpetually shifting and changing the nature of the whole social economy of a given state, and frequently operating in the subtlest forms on the very dearest interests of the citizen - on his domestic, his moral, perhaps his religious relations. ”

“ Wentworth received two land grants after 1810. He founded the the newspaper, "The Australian" and drafted the initial NSW Constitution, as well as having a hand in the drafting of the NSW Constitution of 1855.
Wentworth's draft bills included limiting suffrage to land owners, and renters who earned as much as their landlords. The electorates were to remain the same as the gerrymandered ones of 1851 that gave undue power to landed interests. The bill also created a colonial aristocracy to populate the upper house and ensure the power of the landed interests. ”

“ The subsequent political conduct-rather the systemic political principles of Mr. Wentworth - had been such as would have been sufficient to cancel the value of even a century of action. The British Constitution had been frequently spoken of that afternoon in terms of unbounded laudation. That Constitution certainly deserved to be spoken of with respect; he (Mr. D.) respected it, no doubt they all respected it. ”

“ And also, looking at the gradually increasing pressure of political parties at home, they must prepare to open their arms and receive the fugitives from England, Scotland, and Ireland, who would hasten to gain a security and a competence, that appeared to be denied them in their own country. ”