188 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



his part in the strife, on the one side or the other. I find it impos- 

 sible for me in the present emergency to fulfil this duty by joining 

 the ranks of either side, and I think that I should be doing a wrong 

 to you if I continued to hold the office while I abstained from 

 performing the duties of a representative." The man, the reasons, 

 and the action are unique in Victorian Parliamentary annals. 



During this controversy Mr. Service had exerted himself vigor- 

 ously but ineffectually as peacemaker, but argument was wasted, 

 and the time for action had come. On the 8th of February Sir 

 James McCulloch moved a new standing order, to be in force for 

 the remainder of the session. It provided that when any motion 

 had been moved in the House or in Committee, a resolution might 

 without notice be proposed, " that the motion be now put," and 

 that such resolution should at once be put, without amendment or 

 debate, no motion or question of order to be permitted until such 

 resolution had been disposed of. This standing order, promptly 

 called "The Iron Hand," was fiercely contested by the Opposition, 

 but two days later it was carried by forty-one votes to twenty. 



Although it cannot be said that peace reigned, the possibility of 

 doing business was restored ; a few minor Acts were passed, and 

 permission was given to borrow 2,500,000 at 4 per cent. Of this, 

 about 1,000,000 was for proposed but rather undefined railway 

 extension; 500,000 for school buildings; and the balance was 

 chiefly appropriated in connection with water supply schemes. 

 After this triumph the Ministry thankfully snatched the chance of 

 a three months' recess. 



Sir George Bowen, who had returned early in the year, opened 

 the third session of this Parliament on the llth of July. His 

 speech ignored the murky condition of the political atmosphere, 

 and abounded in congratulatory optimism. He promised the 

 early introduction of a number of measures of prime importance. 

 Only a few got beyond the stage of promise, the most important 

 being a revision of the Electoral Act and the establishment of a 

 Harbour Trust for the Port of Melbourne. The former measure 

 aimed at curing the anomalies of representation which had resulted 

 from the increase of population throughout the country during the 

 eighteen years that had elapsed since the electoral divisions were 



