SURVEY OF THE EARLY SEVENTIES 161 



bury declined to accept his interpretation, and refused to grant an 

 appeal to the people. The refusal stung Mr. Duffy into subsequently 

 describing Her Majesty's representative as "an impoverished peer 

 whose business in the Colonies was to increase his balance at the 

 bankers'," which is a pleasing variation on the charge he so frequently 

 made, that it was the great fortunes in the colony which were united 

 in efforts to thwart him. A few months later the "impoverished 

 peer " was the medium of conveying to Mr. Duffy the honour of 

 knighthood, a compliment with which his countrymen generally were 

 pleased. During the first fifteen years of the Constitution the dis- 

 tinction of knighthood had only been conferred on four persons, 

 Sir William Stawell, on his elevation to the Chief Justiceship ; Sir 

 James Palmer, as President of the Council ; Sir Francis Murphy, the 

 Speaker ; and Sir Eedmond Barry ; only in the last-named instance 

 was the honour the result of special services rendered to the com- 

 munity, in educational and social labours. In the three preceding 

 cases the dignity was an appendage to the office, and has since been 

 generally perpetuated on those lines. Commencing with Sir George 

 Verdon in 1872, the holder of the office of Agent- General has usually 

 been offered the distinction, though it has not in all cases been 

 accepted. Sir Archibald Michie in 1878 and Sir Graham Berry in 

 1887 thus attained it. The selection of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy did 

 not come under any of these conditions, as at the time of the offer 

 he was only a private member of the House, though the further step 

 of K.C.M.G. was conferred upon him in respect of his selection as 

 Speaker in 1875. The honour was no doubt procured for him by 

 his friend Childers, who was then a member of the British Cabinet, 

 and it was probably intended as a peace-offering to the Irish section. 

 In 1874 Sir John O'Shanassy was knighted, and in the following 

 year Sir Charles Sladen. After this there was a cessation of appoint- 

 ments for about a dozen years, except in the cases of the occupants 

 of the offices above referred to. Amongst prominent politicians who 

 declined to take up the proffered distinction occur the names of Mr. 

 J. G. Francis, Mr. Peter Lalor, Mr. James Service, Mr. Duncan 

 Gillies, Mr. Alfred Deakin and Mr. E. Murray Smith. 



When Mr. Duffy was refused a dissolution the Governor en- 

 trusted Mr. J. G. Francis with the task of forming a Ministry. 



VOL. II. 11 



