THE ADMINISTRATION OF SIR HENRY BARKLY 73 



stitutional law in which his predecessor had been so deficient. In 

 comparison, too, with Sir Charles Hothara, his generous hospitality 

 and social leadership were a source of admiration to the colonists, 

 for while he entertained freely he never made any attempt at 

 courting personal popularity. His services were, however, always 

 readily available in public movements having philanthropic aims 

 for social progress or intellectual culture; and his speeches on 

 such occasions were invariably thoughtful in substance and happy 

 in form. But his natural inclination was towards privacy, and a 

 carefully controlled reticence. In some quarters, and especially in 

 the Civil Service, this characteristic led to the assumption that his 

 dignity was cold and unsympathetic, an opinion which his private 

 charities belied. It had the undoubted advantage of saving him 

 from those ungenerous press taunts which had embittered the days 

 of his predecessors, and to which all men in public life, who are 

 injudiciously free of speech, must be occasionally liable. 



Landing without ceremony on the 24th of December, the 

 Governor was permitted to enjoy the privacy of his Toorak 

 mansion over Christmas. On Boxing Day he had to face the 

 ordeal of being " sworn in " with some show of ceremony, but 

 it was not the occasion of a demonstration, and the press com- 

 mented upon the fact that His Excellency secluded himself in the 

 procession in a closed carriage. Perhaps he had heard how the 

 fickle mob that prostrated themselves before Sir Charles Hotham 

 had readily turned to abuse him when they failed to get all they 

 wanted, and Sir Henry had no wish to win their superficial ap- 

 plause by feigning delight at making their acquaintance. 



But when ceremony was over he set himself to work to master 

 the official routine, and to study the members of the Cabinet, with 

 whom, as President of the Executive Council, he would now have 

 to act. He was destined to see, during his seven years of office, 

 no less than eight changes of Ministry. Though the elections had 

 been free from any special party issues, the discussions in the 

 Assembly had not lasted a month before party lines were formed, 

 based, it is true, to a large extent on personal grounds, and a 

 distinct Opposition, mainly controlled by O'Shanassy and Duffy, 

 took up the role of Ministerial critics. The existing Cabinet was 



