CHAPTEE V. 



AN BRA OF CONSTITUTIONAL STRUGGLE, 1864-1868. 



SIB CHARLES HENRY DARLING, K.C.B., who was sworn in as 

 Governor of Victoria on the llth of September, 1863, was the 

 bearer of a name that to the colonists of a preceding generation 

 had been symbolical of a bad type of irresponsible military des- 

 potism. He was a nephew of that General Ealph Darling who 

 from 1825 to 1831 ruled the people of New South Wales, and 

 during those few years evoked so much antagonism from the press 

 and the populace, largely influenced by the impetuous Went worth, 

 that his departure more resembled a flight than a farewell function. 

 His nephew had not the tenacity of purpose of his namesake, nor 

 had he the same opportunities of exercising power. He was a 

 novice in constitutional law, and his training as military secretary 

 to his uncle in Sydney had given him a poor opinion of it. With- 

 out any experience of representative Government, or any strength 

 of character, he was as wax in the hands of such dominant men as 

 James McCulloch and George Higinbotham, and they became the 

 virtual rulers of the colony. Unfortunately, it cannot be said that 

 weakness of purpose was the only defect in Sir Charles Darling's 

 character. When he had been cajoled into flagrant violation of 

 the impartiality which his instructions from the Crown laid on 

 him, he developed a pettiness amounting almost to vindictiveness 

 in denouncing to the Secretary of State those who had opposed 

 him. So far did he carry these sweeping comments that his 

 peremptory recall was rendered inevitable. He was even fatuous 

 enough to suppress despatches from the Colonial Office which 

 ought to have been promptly laid before Parliament, and to garble 

 others which he submitted by unjustifiable omissions. On the 

 whole, the verdict of posterity will probably be that he was the 



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