THE TRANSITION TO RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT 55 



dignity. The first breach with the Council arose out of the re- 

 signation of Mr. Foster, the Colonial Secretary. 



The outburst of popular indignation against the whole machinery 

 of Government which was evoked by the unhappy events at Ballaarat 

 demanded at least one victim, though it would doubtless have been 

 more fully appeased if the whole Executive could have been dis- 

 missed. Foster was the nominal head of the condemned body, 

 but there was no ground for the popular belief that he was chiefly 

 culpable. In some vigorous letters which he addressed to the 

 Speaker (Dr. J. F. Palmer) in vindication of himself, he plainly 

 showed that he was not specially blameworthy for the miscarriage 

 of Government, and that in the many errors of the administration 

 his colleagues were chargeable with a very ample share. In reality, 

 he quailed before the awakened anger of his fellow-colonists, and 

 his quondam comrades were apparently quite prepared to let him 

 play the part of Jonah. It is not at all clear that his action was 

 purely voluntary, but he had plenty of reasons for desiring release. 

 He had chafed under the notorious fact that the Governor had 

 sought the advice of O'Shanassy in connection with the Colonial 

 Secretary's inflated estimates, and had put a curb on his proposed 

 expenditure. Again, Foster was opposed to many of the recom- 

 mendations of the various Commissions appointed by the Governor, 

 but he realised that, owing to his unpopularity, he could not 

 command support if he stood out. To escape from this tempest 

 of hostile criticism, he informed the Governor that he was prepared 

 to resign if His Excellency thought such a course would tend to 

 the restoration of public confidence. He improved the occasion 

 by dwelling on the personal sacrifice he was making, and the 

 Governor, no doubt, administered consolation by promising to re- 

 commend a substantial pecuniary recompense. This was in De- 

 cember, and in the following February (1855) Sir Charles, having 

 in the meanwhile appointed Mr. Wm. Clark Haines to the office 

 of Colonial Secretary, sent a message to the Council proposing 

 a grant of two years' salary to Foster, in consideration of his loss 

 of office on public grounds. His former associates would not take 

 a generous view of the situation. Some of them were uncharitable 

 enough to insinuate that the Governor had bribed him to play the 



