146 A HISTOEY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



declared it had no confidence in the Government. As they did not 

 resign, they were subjected to many indignities, the formal business 

 of the House was taken out of their hands, and the Governor was 

 petitioned to dismiss them. An offer by Mr. Fellows to introduce 

 the Darling grant in a separate Bill was curtly rejected, and his 

 concession to expediency won no approval from supporters or from 

 the Opposition. 



Finally, a resolution was passed pledging the House not to 

 grant the Ministry any supplies. Thereupon they resigned, after a 

 stop-gap existence of sixty-six days, and once again Mr. McCulloch, 

 with some important changes in his colleagues, took possession 

 of the Treasury benches. Mr. G. F. Verdon had been appointed 

 Agent-General in London for the colony, and took his final fare- 

 well of local politics. Mr. J. G. Francis declined to resume his old 

 place at the Customs. The Law Officers of the new team were 

 Messrs. Geo. Paton Smith and J. J. Casey, replacing Messrs. 

 Higinbotham and Bindon. Mr. Higinbotham refused to again 

 accept the responsibilities of office, but for old association's sake 

 he consented to act temporarily as an unpaid member of the 

 Cabinet. 



The Sladen Ministry, though apparently occupying a rather 

 contemptible position, had really done an important service. It 

 had held McCulloch at bay just long enough to prevent him from 

 committing the Assembly to an attack upon the Governor and his 

 instructions, the end of which would probably have been deplorable 

 on any issue. The domineering tone adopted by him at this time 

 in Parliament, and in his communications with the Governor re- 

 specting his despatches, show that he was determined to bring the 

 Queen's representative under the heel of authority, and to compel 

 him to be a party to forcing the Darling grant upon the Council in 

 the way the Assembly desired. The solution of the difficulty came 

 from without. The day before Mr. Sladen resigned, a message 

 reached the colony that the man over whose proceedings so much 

 angry talk had been expended had made his peace with the Colonial 

 Office, had withdrawn his resignation, and now intimated that under 

 his altered circumstances neither he nor Lady Darling could accept 

 the generous bounty of his Victorian admirers. His claim for some 



