286 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



which had hitherto been transacted for them in Sydney. There- 

 fore, without troubling to discuss the matter with the other end of 

 the world, he carried through the British Parliament without any 

 opposition, almost without comment, the Constitution Statute 

 already described. Pending this provision for realising the aspira- 

 tions of the settlers, the Separation League, under the able guid- 

 ance of Mr. Ed. Curr, engineered numerous meetings, and gave 

 form to many petitions both to the House of Commons and to the 

 Sydney Council, one to the latter body bearing 2,194 signatures. 

 But the British Parliament was favoured with one from the inhabi- 

 tants of Port Phillip generally, another from the Mayor, Aldermen 

 and Councillors of the town of Melbourne ; another from the 

 Warden and Council of the District of Bourke ; and yet another 

 from a similar body for the County of Grant, whose headquarters 

 were Geelong. These petitions were all different, but each con- 

 tained a strong statement of the case from their respective points 

 of view, and amongst them every aspect, legal, financial, and even 

 sentimental found expression. 



The year 1843, with its election heartburnings and disappointed 

 expectations, had passed away, and the time had now come when 

 the public agitation and the public petitioning was to find expression 

 in the Legislative arena, where Lord Stanley fondly hoped that 

 they would also find their solution. Pursuant to notice, Dr. Lang 

 moved on 20th August, 1844, that " A humble address be pre- 

 sented to Her Majesty the Queen, praying that Her Majesty will be 

 graciously pleased to direct that the requisite steps may be taken 

 for the speedy and entire separation of Port Phillip from the territory 

 of New South Wales, and for its erection into a separate and 

 independent colony ". 



His speech in support was a masterly piece of declamation, 

 lasting over two hours. It reviewed at length the whole history 

 of Port Phillip, and dwelt with pardonable pride on the unpre- 

 cedented fact that this splendid dependency, with 25,000 prosperous 

 colonists, and a revenue showing a surplus of from 17,000 to 

 20,000 a year, had not only never cost the mother-country a 

 single farthing, but had actually relieved that country, without any 

 expense to it, of a large amount of its semi-pauper population. 



