Difference between revisions of "John Manning"

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Manning was a witness examined during the report of the Board appointed to enquire into circumstances connected with the riot at Ballarat, and the burning of [[James Bentley]]'s [[Eureka Hotel]]. At that time he was listed as a reporter with the ''Ballarat Times.'' <ref> ''Report of the Board appointed to Enquire into Circumstances Connected with the Late Disturbance at Ballarat'', John Ferres, Government Printer, Melbourne, 21 November 1854.</ref>
 
Manning was a witness examined during the report of the Board appointed to enquire into circumstances connected with the riot at Ballarat, and the burning of [[James Bentley]]'s [[Eureka Hotel]]. At that time he was listed as a reporter with the ''Ballarat Times.'' <ref> ''Report of the Board appointed to Enquire into Circumstances Connected with the Late Disturbance at Ballarat'', John Ferres, Government Printer, Melbourne, 21 November 1854.</ref>
  
John Manning, a reporter for the Ballarat Times was involved in the establishment of the [[Eureka Stockade]]. He was in the Stockade when it was stormed. His vivid written eyewitness account makes him Australia's first war correspondent. Manning was one of the thirteen men charged with High Treason who were acquitted by Melbourne juries in 1855 after a vigorous campaign for their release, spearheaded by Melbourne's newspapers.<ref>http://www.peacebus.com/Eureka/111128ToscanoMedia.html</ref>
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John Manning, a reporter for the Ballarat Times was involved in the establishment of the [[Eureka Stockade]]. He was a member of the [[Ballarat Reform League]], and was in the Stockade when it was stormed. His vivid written eyewitness account makes him Australia's first war correspondent. Manning was one of the thirteen men charged with High Treason who were acquitted by Melbourne juries in 1855 after a vigorous campaign for their release, spearheaded by Melbourne's newspapers.<ref>http://www.peacebus.com/Eureka/111128ToscanoMedia.html</ref>
  
 
==Post 1854 Experiences==
 
==Post 1854 Experiences==

Revision as of 23:22, 29 May 2013

Background

Goldfields Involvement, 1854

Manning was a witness examined during the report of the Board appointed to enquire into circumstances connected with the riot at Ballarat, and the burning of James Bentley's Eureka Hotel. At that time he was listed as a reporter with the Ballarat Times. [1]

John Manning, a reporter for the Ballarat Times was involved in the establishment of the Eureka Stockade. He was a member of the Ballarat Reform League, and was in the Stockade when it was stormed. His vivid written eyewitness account makes him Australia's first war correspondent. Manning was one of the thirteen men charged with High Treason who were acquitted by Melbourne juries in 1855 after a vigorous campaign for their release, spearheaded by Melbourne's newspapers.[2]

Post 1854 Experiences

Treason Trial

John Manning was the second of the thirteen tried for High Treason to face the courts. The owner and editor of the Ballarat Times Henry Seekamp had been found guilty of sedition and jailed for three months a few months earlier. It was common knowledge among the miners and authorities that John Manning had penned many of the seditious articles that Seekamp was found guilty of writing and the authorities expected that he would be convicted by a jury which was chosen from the same jury pool that acquitted John Joseph. Once again the jury did not have any Irish representatives on it, nine of the jurors were working men.[3]

The only problem with John Manning's case was that the Crown had very little evidence that he had actively participated in the Eureka Stockade. It took the jury only a few minutes to find him not guilty of the charge of High Treason. Manning's acquittal was a blow to the prosecution's chances of recording a conviction because Manning was regarded as one of the leaders of the rebellion. He had also been involved in a meeting of the thirteen "captains" of the rebellion when the Eureka stockade was thrown up after the march from Bakery Hill on the 1st of December 1854.[4]

John Manning had been in the thick of the rebellion. Inspector Carter had found Manning in the guardroom of the stockade (the armoury), when he led an attack on the tent. He personally arrested Manning and handed him over to Lieutenant Richards of the 40th Regiment.[5]

Faced with the problem of a Melbourne jury not wanting to find the accused guilty and with eleven more charges of High Treason to be heard, the Attorney-General asked the courts for a months stay, so that they could review the charges. Governor Charles Hotham was adamant they must stand trial, so the Attorney-General in an attempt to secure a conviction stood down the original jury panel and empanelled a new list of 178 jurors on the 19th of March 1855. This jury panel was hand picked, solid middle class men, who could be relied on to convict the Ballarat rabble that had defied Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Hotham went to bed, secure in the knowledge that the jury would do its job and convict the rest of the accused.[6]

See also

Further Reading

Corfield, J.,Wickham, D., & Gervasoni, C. The Eureka Encyclopaedia, Ballarat Heritage Services, 2004.


References

  1. Report of the Board appointed to Enquire into Circumstances Connected with the Late Disturbance at Ballarat, John Ferres, Government Printer, Melbourne, 21 November 1854.
  2. http://www.peacebus.com/Eureka/111128ToscanoMedia.html
  3. http://www.takver.com/history/eureka.htm, sighted 07 May 2013.
  4. http://www.takver.com/history/eureka.htm, sighted 07 May 2013.
  5. http://www.takver.com/history/eureka.htm, sighted 07 May 2013.
  6. http://www.takver.com/history/eureka.htm, sighted 07 May 2013.

External links



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