60 A HISTOKY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



quested their dismissal ; their respectful acceptance of the same, 

 and concurrent application for their pensions. And the famous 

 minute embodying the Governor's views about the future adminis- 

 tration of the colony was given in extenso. To divert the sudden 

 outbreak of hostility, and to gain breathing time, Mr. Haines suc- 

 ceeded in carrying a motion that the papers received from the 

 Governor be printed and taken into consideration at the next meet- 

 ing, on 4th December. On that day Dr. Greeves voiced the 

 strong disapproval of the Council in a motion which condemned the 

 Governor's minute as derogatory to the rights of the people and the 

 power of the Legislature, and covering with humiliation the Ministry 

 who accepted office under it ; and he urged the House to record its 

 protest and censure of the whole proceedings. The debate on the 

 motion raged fiercely through two sittings. The attack on the im- 

 peached officials was savagely personal in some cases ; the defence 

 was generally weak and equivocating, some members supporting 

 the Executive did all in their power to divert the indignation from 

 their friends to the shoulders of the Governor, and he was denounced 

 and misrepresented with reckless eagerness. What an irony of fate 

 it was that His Excellency should learn officially that his minute 

 was declared to be " an invasion of the constitutional rights of the 

 people " by Peter Lalor, the man upon whose head he had but so 

 recently set a price, for conduct that did not seem to indicate intense 

 loyalty to constitutional measures. But Peter the rebel was now 

 Peter the people's tribune, and the coming sovereignty of the crowd 

 loomed portentously in the long debate on the proposed vote of 

 censure. 



The tone of it dismayed the Toorak disciplinarian, and although, 

 by voting for themselves, his Ministry escaped defeat by a majority 

 of one, it was recognised as an ignominious victory. Sir Charles 

 Hotham was deeply hurt at the contumely poured upon his inter- 

 pretation of the newly conferred powers of Parliament, and the last 

 weeks of his life were embittered by a feeling that he was being set 

 aside and ignored. He had the good sense, however, to practically 

 withdraw the offending minute, by announcing that it was merely 

 an outline of his private views for the consideration of the Executive, 

 and not, as had been represented, a dictation of terms. 



