" PEACE, PKOGRESS AND PEOSPERITY " 231 



extent secured by weak concessions to expediency. Prosperity had 

 also followed, but it was due to a succession of good agricultural 

 seasons which largely increased the exportable products of the 

 country. In a material aspect this was progress, but it owed 

 nothing to Parliament or to any fostering care by the Ministry. 

 The constitutional party felt the loss of their experienced leader, Mr. 

 Service, and when later on his nominated successor, Mr. Murray 

 Smith, departed for London to assume the duties of Agent-General, 

 they remained somewhat disorganised and ineffective. As a party 

 they came to the rescue of Sir Bryan when he was hard pressed, 

 for poorly as they may have esteemed the acquiescent Premier, the 

 restoration of Berry to power was a thing to shrink from. 



It was indeed rather difficult to concentrate interest on local 

 politics, for the colonists were greatly excited during 1882, firstly, by 

 the cabled news of the murder of Lord Frederick Cavendish and 

 Mr. Burke in Phoenix Park, Dublin, and later by the outbreak of 

 the war in Egypt, arising out of the rebellion of Arabi Pasha. The 

 time seemed singularly inopportune, while patriotic feeling was 

 strongly stirred, for the Irish residents in the colony to forward the 

 notorious Grattan address to their discontented countrymen on the 

 other side of the world : an address wherein Her Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment was referred to as a foreign despotism, and resistance to 

 its lawful commands lauded as a proud manifestation of courage 

 and self-reliance. As the address bore the signatures of five 

 members of the Legislative Assembly, two of whom were ex-Min- 

 isters of the Crown and sworn Executive Councillors, the House 

 was very properly called upon by Mr. J. B. Patterson to formally 

 disavow any sympathy with its doctrines and language, and to ex- 

 press its disapproval of the conduct of members of their own body 

 in dishonouring their oath of allegiance. In view of the prompt 

 protestations of loyality by the inculpated members, Mr. J. G. 

 Francis blocked the motion by moving the previous question. Two 

 days later he submitted a resolution more mildly phrased, accepting 

 the assurance of the signers as to their undiminished loyalty, but 

 formally renewing and emphasising the declaration by the House 

 of its faithful attachment to Her Majesty's throne and person. 

 Even thus modified it was only accepted on a division by thirty- 



