THE BERRY INFLUENCE, 1875-1882 187 



traitor to the popular cause, a base ally, if not a purchased tool of 

 the enemies of the people ". They also accused the Acting Gover- 

 nor of being in league with the conspirators of Flinders Lane, for 

 the subversion of the liberties of the country. Unhappily, in all 

 communities language of this character, of which the foregoing are 

 but moderate samples, always secures a number of supporters, who, 

 with a hazy idea that somebody had done wrong, clamour for 

 reprisals in the much abused name of justice. 



On the reassembling of Parliament in January, 1876, one of 

 the discontented was put forward to move for an address to the 

 Governor, praying him to dissolve the Assembly to give the constitu- 

 encies an opportunity of expressing their opinion on the proposed 

 new taxation. The motion was rejected by thirty-one votes to 

 twenty-three. Failing relief in this direction it was resolved to 

 obstruct all business by straining the forms of the House, raising 

 sham issues and talking against time. One of the main points 

 aimed at was to prevent the Ministry obtaining supplies, thus 

 compelling attention by the inconvenience and delay to which the 

 public creditor would be subjected. This party contributed a new 

 word to political diction, by pledging themselves to stand like a 

 "stonewall" against all Ministerial measures. A few weeks of 

 incessant motions to report progress or adjourn, supported by 

 whole evenings of irrelevant talk, incensed the more thoughtful 

 members, and some of the Opposition sided with the Ministry in 

 trying to suppress the unparliamentary conduct of the leaders on 

 the left. The " stonewalling " tactics broke down so grand a 

 fighter as George Higinbotham, who found no solution but in the 

 resignation of his seat. In his farewell address to his constituents 

 he said he was unable to approve of the course which the Opposition 

 intended to pursue, but he could not bring himself to side with the 

 Government in this quarrel. He considered that the employment 

 of the forms, which had been adopted for guidance in debate, to 

 such a purpose as the coercion of a hostile majority was inconsis- 

 tent with the principles which lie at the foundation of all deliberative 

 action, and even of political society itself. "It is not permitted," 

 he said, "to a member of Parliament to be a mere onlooker in 

 Parliamentary war. It is his first duty to take his place and bear 



