148 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



to make the measure acceptable to the other branch of the Legisla- 

 ture, but that gentleman declined to offer an opinion on the subject. 

 Doubtless he was influenced by the knowledge that Mr. Higinbotham 

 would certainly oppose it. Therefore the Bill was launched in the 

 Council, where it passed after some very vigorous protests from Mr. 

 Fawkner. When it reached the Assembly that body, somewhat 

 weary of the long-continued strife, allowed it to go through almost 

 without comment in the closing days of the eventful session which 

 expired on the 29th of September, 1868. The Act came into force 

 on the 1st of January following, and its immediate effect was to 

 increase the number of electors of the Upper House to nearly 20,000, 

 which number had grown to over 30,000 by the time the next 

 amending Act was passed in 1881. Necessarily any material altera- 

 tion in the personnel of the members was a matter of slow growth 

 while the tenure of seats remained at ten years, and to meet this 

 objection the term was reduced to six years when the revision above 

 referred to took place. 



