128 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



kind against the Council were freely launched from the hustings. 

 It was accused of covertly seeking a repeal of manhood suffrage ; 

 of conspiring with the squatters to block agricultural settlement ; to 

 secure perpetual leases of the waste lands of the Crown ; and, in 

 general terms, of trying to override the decisions of the people's 

 Chamber in all matters of policy or taxation. There was wild talk 

 of disregarding the Constitution, when it did not square with the 

 claims of the one-Chamber men, and of "cutting the painter" if 

 the Colonial Secretary presumed to interfere for its maintenance. 

 Even one of the Ministers, the Commissioner of Customs, plainly 

 insinuated that separation from the mother-country would be pre- 

 ferable to submission to outside interference. With such incentives 

 to passion the masses were roused to support what became known 

 as the " Loyal Liberal Cause," and the Ministry came back with a 

 further increased majority, though it must be confessed that the 

 tail of its supporters contained quite a crowd of nonentities. Many 

 of them owed their election entirely to the support and influence of 

 Ministers, and repaid the favour by a display of grovelling subser- 

 viency. The vivacious Solicitor-General, Mr. Michie, was the only 

 Minister who was rejected O'Shanassy declined to go to the poll 

 on the ground of failing health. Perhaps the most remarkable de- 

 feat was that of Graham Berry at Collingwood. He had backed 

 up McCulloch in the " tack " ; he had preached Protection red-hot 

 to applauding thousands ; he had been amongst the most popular 

 leaders in the crusade against the Upper House. But he was 

 not a Ministerial tool. He had dared to oppose and to denounce 

 McCulloch's collusive juggles with the State funds, and the influence 

 of the Government was cast against him so successfully that he 

 was kept out of Parliament for three years. Although the Ministry 

 swept the country, some of the Metropolitan constituencies sent in 

 fresh men of fair debating power, many of whom were found amongst 

 the twenty forming the Opposition, facing a Ministerial phalanx of 

 fifty-eight. 



On the 12th of February, 1866, the new Assembly was sworn 

 in and proceeded to elect its Speaker. Sir Francis Murphy, who 

 had held the position for ten years, had to face a contest. The 

 Opposition, by way of marking their disapproval of his indecision 



