360 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OP VICTORIA 



and been succeeded by Mr. Leslie Fitzgerald Foster. This gentle- 

 man, who was an early colonist, had recently been on a visit to 

 England, where, through his influence with the Colonial Office, he 

 had secured the appointment of Colonial Secretary, and he came 

 with strong recommendations to Mr. Latrobe. He was a cousin of 

 Mr. Stawell, the Attorney-General, a graduate of Trinity College, 

 Dublin, and the descendant of a line of ancestors celebrated in the 

 legal profession. On the 1st of September Mr. Foster, in a very 

 able speech, invited the Council to consider the necessity of chang- 

 ing the Constitution by the creation of a Parliament of two 

 Chambers, both entirely elective. He explained that he did not 

 adopt the usual course of submitting a Bill drafted by the Executive, 

 because it was of the utmost consequence to the future peace and 

 well-being of the country that this most important measure should 

 command the acquiescence of the whole community, and this 

 would be best assured by the Government consulting the voice of 

 the people through their representatives in the matter. Without 

 elaborating his speech with too much detail, he reviewed forcibly 

 the arguments in favour of the double Chamber and the claims of 

 election against nomination. He concluded by moving the appoint- 

 ment of a Select Committee to consider and report upon the best 

 form of Constitution for the colony. The Committee, appointed 

 by ballot, consisted of the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, 

 the Auditor-General, the Speaker and eight private members. Of 

 the latter, probably the most capable were John O'Shanassy, Henry 

 Miller, Dr. A. F. A. Greeves and William Nicholson. It was a 

 subject of some comment at the time that the irreconcilable 

 Fawkner was excluded from their counsels. The Committee set 

 to work vigorously, and on the 9th of December they brought up 

 their draft Bill, which was ordered to be read a first time on the 

 15th idem. Mr. Foster introduced it in a very carefully prepared 

 speech, and then moved that the second reading should be post- 

 poned until after the Christmas recess to give the general public 

 time to indicate their approval or dissent. But notwithstanding 

 the fact that after the Act was duly passed many serious defects 

 were charged against it and many clamorous protests organised, 

 the public of that Christmas was distinctly apathetic. No meetings 



