50 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



taken up arms against the Queen's authority must be tried and 

 dealt with as the law directs. 



So the trials had to go on, and it is very significant of the extent 

 to which public feeling was opposed to the Governor's course that 

 some of the most eminent counsel of the Victorian Bar volunteered 

 their gratuitous services for the defence. Eichard Da vies Ireland, 

 Butler Cole Aspinall, Archibald Michie, James McPherson Grant 

 and H. S. Chapman, all of whom were afterwards Ministers of the 

 Crown in Victoria, stepped into the breach in turn to cross swords 

 with the prosecution, conducted by Wm. Foster Stawell, the 

 Attorney-General, and Eobert Moles worth, the Solicitor-General. 

 It was an unhappy business, but the result was inevitable. The 

 first two prisoners were tried before Chief Justice A 'Beckett in the 

 middle of February, 1855. Messrs. Aspinall and Michie turned the 

 proceedings into such hopeless ridicule, and so discredited the police 

 witnesses, that both men were promptly acquitted. The Judge 

 was greatly irritated by the production of a comedy in his Court, 

 in lieu of the grim tragedy set down, and he manifested his dis- 

 pleasure by sending to gaol for a week a couple of spectators who 

 gave vent to their delight in his presence. But he was powerless 

 to suppress the roar of applause with which the verdict was received 

 outside. 



The Attorney-General ordered the trials of the remaining 

 prisoners to be postponed for a month, in the hope of securing 

 a jury more amenable to his arguments. Advantage was taken 

 of the respite to endeavour, by fresh petitions and articles in the 

 press, to induce the Government to accept these indications, and 

 to abandon further proceedings. But the Governor was inflexible : 

 he had pledged himself to seek justice, and each one should be put 

 on his trial. So on the 19th of March the business recommenced, 

 before Judge Barry. The month's reflection had only intensified 

 the popular opinion, and ten days were wasted in each prisoner 

 having to plead to his indictment, to listen to evidence to which he 

 deigned no reply, and to be formally acquitted. The uproarious 

 cheers with which some of the accused were shouldered down the 

 Melbourne streets had perhaps no great significance, but the mass 

 of the people were undoubtedly glad of the result, and were ashamed 



