76 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



policy. The selection of Foster as Treasurer must be regarded as a 

 case of "Hobson's choice". More than once in the old Council 

 had O'Shanassy denounced him as quite unreliable, and his down- 

 fall as Chief Secretary had met with universal applause. 



Mr. Chapman, the Attorney-General, Mr. Greeves, Commissioner 

 of Customs, and Mr. J. D. Wood, the Solicitor- General, were all 

 defeated at the polls, though the latter subsequently secured a seat 

 for the Ovens electorate. When the successful fragment of the 

 Ministry met the House on the 15th of April, it was blocked on the 

 threshold by Mr. T. H. Fellows, who bluntly proposed a resolution 

 that they did not possess the confidence of Parliament. In a clever 

 speech he anatomised Messrs. Foster, Duffy and Greeves, and 

 although the two former spent several hours in vindicating them- 

 selves, and the debate, which involved an all-night sitting, had to 

 be adjourned, the resolution was carried on the 22nd by thirty-four 

 votes to nineteen. Mr. James Service, who had just entered Par- 

 liament as member for Melbourne, in succession to Mr. Stawell, 

 seconded the resolution, but he was not called upon to take part in 

 the new Cabinet. 



The formation of the third Victorian Ministry was entrusted by 

 the Governor to Mr. James McCulloch, who inclined towards coali- 

 tion, but his overtures to Mr. O'Shanassy were not successful. He 

 finally arranged with Mr. Haines to resume office as Chief Secretary, 

 took the Customs himself, and was joined by Mr. C. H. Ebden as 

 Treasurer, and Messrs. Michie and Fellows as the Law Officers, 

 those gentlemen being then the prominent leaders at the Victorian 

 Bar. Mr. (afterwards Sir James) McCulloch, the new Minister of 

 Customs, who had been a nominee member of the old Council, was 

 a shrewd Scotchman, of considerable force of character, the local 

 partner in an important firm of British merchants. He was a 

 dominant figure in Victorian politics for more than twenty years. 

 He subsequently filled on several occasions the position of Premier, 

 holding that office altogether for a period of nine years, a term not 

 approached by any other Victorian politician. 



Though most of the members of the new Ministry were opposed 

 they were all returned, and a strong majority of the colonists indi- 

 cated their approval of the Cabinet. But there was a violent display 



