288 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



It might fairly be assumed that when the Doctor sat down he 

 left little to be said, but Mr. Robinson, in seconding the motion, 

 gathered up a few fragments that the mover had missed, and Dr. 

 Nicholson, Mr. Young and Mr. Walker all spoke forcibly in favour. 

 These were the five representatives of Port Phillip, one seat being 

 vacant, for Dr. Thomson's successor, Benjamin Boyd, had not yet 

 been elected. Only one man unconnected with the southern 

 settlement was won over, Mr. Eobert Lowe (afterwards Viscount 

 Sherbrooke), who was one of the unofficial nominee members ap- 

 pointed by Governor Gipps. He did not speak at very great length, 

 and on the general question he rather favoured consolidation than 

 disintegration. But he was scornfully angry at the way the Port 

 Phillip people had been cajoled, at the pretence of representation 

 by which it had been sought to quiet them. " Every member," he 

 said, " of that house was a representative of the whole community, 

 as the Colonial Secretary had told them, and yet which of them 

 knew or cared anything about Port Phillip ? Which of them had 

 made themselves acquainted with the case for separation ? Which 

 of them had ever read the petition which they were that day to 

 consider? They came there to support a foregone conclusion. 

 Member after Member had risen to advocate the claims of Port 

 Phillip, but could extract no reply, except the official reply of the 

 Colonial Secretary. He could not help feeling that there was a 

 want of reality about that night's discussion, which showed that 

 the Council were listening to that in which they took no interest ; 

 all the speaking might be on one side, but all the voting would 

 be on the other." 



The speech of the Colonial Secretary lacked warmth and con- 

 viction. It was chiefly made up of extracts from the Governor's 

 despatches to Lord Stanley, and contained no points that Dr. Lang 

 had not dealt with. But it was noticeable that the two speeches 

 made in opposition both freely admitted that the day was probably 

 not far distant when separation might reasonably be acceded to, 

 but the time was not yet ripe. 



The forecast of Mr. Lowe proved correct, the five representa- 

 tives of Port Phillip were only reinforced by himself, and the rest 

 of the Chamber voted solidly against the resolution. 



