292 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



of State at a time when no one in Parliament could have been got 

 to listen to grievances at the other end of the world. Thus 1847 

 passed away with the cold comfort that Earl Grey, who had suc- 

 ceeded Stanley, promised to bring the proposals before Parliament 

 next year, with every expectation of its consent to the creation of a 

 new colony. But 1848 was even a worse year for constructive 

 legislation than its predecessor. The expulsion of Louis Philippe 

 from the throne of France was the signal for sporadic outbreaks of 

 revolution over half the Continent of Europe. The inflammatory 

 material charged the very air, and was wafted across the silver 

 streak. Ireland, decimated by famine, made reckless by poverty 

 and semi-starvation, raised the banner of revolt under Smith 

 O'Brien, Meagher and Mitchel, with the cautious Duffy as an ap- 

 proving looker-on. Chartism in England progressed from monster 

 meetings to riotous outbreaks in some districts, and the venerable 

 conqueror of Waterloo had to manoeuvre his home brigades for the 

 defence of the Bank of England and other strongholds of capital. 

 While the air was thus vibrating with " alarums and excursions," it 

 was no time to settle down to the thought-compelling business of 

 constitution-making, with its nicely balanced problems. The pres- 

 tige of the Crown was threatened in its central stronghold, and the 

 outlying dependencies must needs shift for themselves until law 

 and order were vindicated. 



Nevertheless, the colonists of Port Phillip waxed impatient, and 

 when, in 1848, the period expired for which the first Legislative 

 Council had been elected, they determined to teach the Home 

 Government a lesson as to the futility of their representation 

 therein. The idea of turning their electoral privilege to ridicule 

 probably emanated from Dr. Greeves or Thomas McCombie 

 perhaps it was their joint invention, and they were both prominent 

 in carrying it into effect. Dr. Lang, who had been enthusiastically 

 feted and feasted on a visit to Melbourne early in 1846, had gone 

 to England, where he was a real thorn in the cushion of the 

 Colonial Minister, and he did not return to Australia until separa- 

 tion was practically accomplished. 



A Committee of the Separation League had been in communi- 

 cation with the late members for the district, urging them not to 



