174 A HISTOKY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



large number of the country shires had outrun their incomes, and 

 were applying the rates to the liquidation of illegally incurred over- 

 drafts, which the Act declared should be paid by the councillors per- 

 sonally. When action was proposed the Ministry of the day shrunk 

 from enforcing the law against so important a factor in election 

 matters as Shire Councillors. But the law had to be upheld for 

 appearance' sake, so Parliament was moved to condone the offence, 

 and for some ten years past has annually put through a " Municipal 

 Councillors' Indemnity Act," with the understanding on each occasion 

 that it was not to be asked for again. The farce still goes on. 



The Governor's speech in opening the second session, on 25th 

 May, 1875, was exceptionally long, and outlined work, the accom- 

 plishment of which would have required much closer attention to 

 business than honourable members had ever yet given. But the 

 proposals came to nothing, and the sitting, which lasted ten months, 

 was redolent of the most discreditable personal intrigues for office, 

 factious cabal, and defiance of the principles of honourable dealing 

 which theoretically regulate public life. It had the unique record in 

 that short time of entertaining three Ministries, listening to three 

 conflicting statements of the colony's financial position, debating three 

 separate methods of balancing the national ledger, and assenting to 

 no less than five temporary Supply Bills. 



Mr. Service, who though as staunch a Free Trader as Mr. Langton 

 was constitutionally less aggressive, in submitting his budget on 

 15th July had to admit a deficit of some 200,000 to be met by new 

 taxation. This would not have been a very serious matter, with a 

 revenue exceeding four and a quarter millions sterling. But he 

 desired to readjust the incidence of the tariff, to "ease the burdens 

 now borne by the industrial classes, and to afford relief to the trade 

 of the colony," to quote his own words. To do this he proposed 

 to remit altogether the 20 per cent, duties on a long list of necessaries, 

 the collection of which had been found vexatious and unprofitable. 

 Further, to reduce from 20 to 15 per cent, the duty on other specified 

 goods which had for the last five years enjoyed a large amount 

 of Protection, and which should be considered quite able to compete 

 successfully with the imported article at the reduced duty. These 

 concessions would about double the existing deficit, bringing it up 



