268 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



levying of a rate, and, until such time as an amendment of their 

 Act should give them a larger area to tax, they would rely for their 

 expenses on the market dues, tolls and fines. So for a time the 

 people went free of the obnoxious impost, while of course all works 

 in the direction of improvements were stopped. 



Happily by this time the turn in the tide of the colony's affairs 

 had already commenced. Confidence was being gradually restored, 

 trade revived, the wool clip was increasing ; the tallow trade, newly 

 born, showed marked promise, and a distinct revival of immigration 

 began to manifest itself. A second Amending Act was got through 

 the Legislative Council on 19th December, 1844, and in February 

 following the Corporation resumed its powers by levying a rate at 

 the modest figure of 6d. in the , which was well paid. 



From this time forward the record of the Town Council is one 

 of fair progress and growing usefulness. Sectarian animosities and 

 journalistic bickerings were unpleasantly in evidence during election 

 times, but, on the whole, the mayors who succeeded Mr. Henry 

 Moor had sufficient tact to secure the amenities of debate within 

 the Council Chamber, which for many years was in the building 

 known as the Mechanics' Institute in Collins Street, now the Mel- 

 bourne Athenaeum. Considerable feeling was manifested in the 

 many debates as to the site for a Town Hall, the propositions 

 including the land at present occupied by the General Post Office, 

 the Law Courts and the Houses of Parliament. The matter was 

 set at rest, however, in June, 1849, by the Government granting to 

 the Corporation the valuable half-acre at the corner of Collins and 

 Swanston Streets, on which the imposing home of the City Fathers 

 has been erected, practically the centre of the Metropolis. 



On the 23rd of January, 1848, there arrived in the ship Stag, 

 from London direct, the Bight Rev. Charles Perry, D.D., who had 

 been recently consecrated in Westminster Abbey as Bishop of 

 Melbourne. This was in pursuance of a decision of the British 

 Cabinet cancelling the existing Bishopric of Australia, and creating 

 in its place four new Sees, named after Sydney, Tasmania, Adelaide 

 and Melbourne. Bishop Perry was a graduate of Cambridge, where 

 he held high honours and a Fellowship, and so great a reputation 

 for both learning and piety had preceded him that he was enthu- 



