62 A HISTOKY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



works on the 17th of December he had contracted a severe chill, 

 which developed a low fever and physical prostration. In this 

 condition he waited fretfully for news of Nicholson's success or 

 failure. The tension becoming unendurable after six days of 

 suspense, he sent a message to him requesting to be informed 

 by the 29th instant of the result of his negotiations. They had 

 not reached a stage that promised finality, but by the time this fact 

 was communicated to the Governor he was far down in the Valley 

 of the Shadow. He made an effort to grasp the situation and 

 expressed a wish to see Nicholson, but the next morning, Sunday, 

 the 30th of December, an epileptic seizure threw a mantle of 

 oblivion over the troubled brain, and without recovering conscious- 

 ness the wearied spirit passed " to where, beyond these voices, there 

 is peace ". The solemn presence of death, the hush of a bereaved 

 household, toned the acerbity of political strife, and more than one 

 journal, in black- bordered paragraphs, sought to qualify the harsh- 

 ness of its past gibes. 



In consequence of the death of Sir Kobert Nickle, the Commander 

 of the Forces, shortly before that of the Governor, the administra- 

 tion of the colony fell into the hands of the senior military officer, 

 Major-General Macarthur, a son of the John Macarthur who played 

 so important a part in the mother-colony in the days of the tyran- 

 nical Governor Bligh. He held the office for twelve months, and 

 it was during his interim administration that the legislative work of 

 launching the New Constitution was completed. He was unversed 

 in politics and uninterested in constitutional lore. Hence, his so- 

 called Government was practically a reflex of the wishes of his Ex- 

 ecutive, still largely dominated by the masterful Attorney-General, 

 Stawea 



On the reassembling of the Council, Mr. Haines stated that 

 the resolution in favour of the ballot not having been supported 

 by the appointment of its advocates to the Executive, he proposed 

 to disregard it. Under pressure of a hostile majority, however, he 

 finally agreed to make it a non-ministerial question, and when the 

 Electoral Bill got into committee Mr. Nicholson succeeded in 

 carrying all his points. 



Long and tedious as had been the preparation of these pre- 



