78 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



tives of each of these bodies was original, if somewhat fantastic, 

 but there were practical difficulties in the way of compiling so many 

 separate electoral rolls, and the idea was not taken seriously. It is 

 curious to note that even on the question of manhood suffrage the 

 Argus pronounced against its proprietor, and the editor, then Mr. 

 George Higinbotham, wrote leaders in opposition to Mr. Wilson's 

 views, which he rejected decisively, though not by any means with 

 convincing logic. 



But the great political struggle of the year raged round the Crown 

 Lands Bill, introduced by the Haines Ministry in June, and forming 

 the staple matter of hot debate until September, when it passed the 

 third reading by the small majority of seven. Mr. O'Shanassy, Mr. 

 Duffy and Mr. Ireland were its most vehement opponents, on the 

 ground that it was too favourable to the squatters. Mr. Aspinall 

 moved that as the House was elected by less than hah* the male 

 adult population of the colony, it was unjust to entertain the question 

 of the settlement of the public lands till after the election of a re- 

 formed Parliament by the whole body of the people. The proposal 

 was negatived, and then another attempt was made to have it declared 

 that the votes of members who were squatters should not be received, 

 as they were personally interested in the result. But all the pro- 

 tracted and acrimonious discussion was wasted, for when the Bill 

 reached the Council it was rejected by twenty-one votes to six, on 

 the motion of Mr. Fawkner, seconded by Mr. Henry Miller. Mr. 

 Haines did not feel that this defeat called for his resignation. The 

 Bill had been so altered and amended in the Assembly as to be hardly 

 recognisable as the Ministerial measure, and he declared that many 

 other matters, urgently calling for settlement, were too important to 

 be jeopardised by his retirement. 



The Ministerial respite, however, was not for long. On the 23rd 

 of February, 1858, a resolution by Captain Clarke, condemnatory of 

 one of the schedules of the Government Bill for increasing the number 

 of members of the Assembly, was carried by a majority of twenty- 

 six to seventeen, and Mr. Haines and his colleagues once more re- 

 signed. Captain Clarke declined the responsibility of forming a 

 Ministry, contending that his adverse vote upon an unimportant 

 point did not justify the resignation of the Ministry. The Governor 



