SURVEY OF THE EARLY SEVENTIES 151 



bearers of tin dippers, and even buckets, the crowd naturally grew 

 more unruly. Heaps of viands were looted and wasted, and the 

 roughs, jostling the women and weaklings, ended by pulling down 

 the tents, smashing the tables, dispersing the attendants and tramp- 

 ling the edibles under foot. Prince Alfred, who had been detained 

 at some other function, arrived just as the d&b&cle commenced, and 

 he was persuaded by the police to turn back, lest his presence 

 should increase the danger of sudden panic amidst such a tumult. 

 Finally, a force of mounted police had to be brought on the scene to 

 clear the ground, which was done with so much skill and forbear- 

 ance that no serious casualties resulted. But the episode was long 

 remembered as a discredit to Melbourne. 



After a week in the capital the Prince proceeded on a tour of 

 the colony, visiting Ballaarat, Castlemaine, Sandhurst, Geelong, 

 and the most picturesque parts of the Western District. Everywhere 

 he was greeted with enthusiasm, and he finally departed for Hobart 

 on the 4th of January, 1868. 



The day before the new Parliament assembled news reached 

 Melbourne that Prince Alfred had been shot by a fanatic at a 

 picnic at Clontarf, on Sydney harbour, and it fell to the lot of 

 Mr. Higinbotham to move an address in the Assembly, recording 

 its detestation of the crime, which he said had excited one universal 

 thrill of horror and indignation in the mind of every man in all 

 the colonies. Happily the victim of the murderous attempt, though 

 severely wounded, made a rapid recovery, and the loyal feeling 

 which had been stimulated by his visit was further intensified by 

 his miraculous escape. 



The McOulloch Ministry were not destined this time to a long 

 tenure of office. Mr. Duffy, who had been absent in Europe during 

 the earlier stages of the deadlock, had returned, and had been 

 elected for Dalhousie in September. He took an active part in 

 opposing the inclusion of the Darling grant in the Appropriation 

 Bill, though he declared that the honour of the colony appeared 

 to be so far implicated that he would vote for it in a separate 

 measure, if reserved for the Queen's assent. He reminded the 

 Government, however, that if it were proper to compensate the 

 Governor for losses sustained in a party contest, the money ought 



