236 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



demanded. Being at large in Victoria without it rendered him 

 liable to a fine of 10, or, in default, twelve months' imprisonment. 

 Many poor creatures were sent to prison because they had not 

 understood the importance of taking care of the certificate, and were 

 unable to satisfy the bench that they had paid for it. Gross injus- 

 tice was inflicted, quite equal to anything the exasperated diggers 

 revolted against in the bad old licensing days, but the Chinaman had 

 no vote, and his wails could be safely disregarded. Purposeless, 

 cruel and repugnant to British ideas of justice as this legislation 

 was, it easily overbore the opposition of the constitutional party in 

 the Assembly, and with some slight amendments in the Council it 

 became law. Beyond adding to the disqualifications under which 

 the Chinaman labours, and giving a kind of legal support to the 

 persecutions and ignominy he already endured, the Act had abso- 

 lutely no effect in the direction at which it ostensibly aimed. The 

 steady decline in numbers continued at about the same ratio pre- 

 viously shown, and the census of 1891 disclosed a reduction to 9,377, 

 of whom, by this time, 605 were females, non-combatants in the 

 wages strife. 



In 1882 Parliament was continually in session from 25th April 

 to 21st December. A month was wasted at the outset by a drag- 

 ging debate on the address in reply to the Governor's speech. 

 Graham Berry sought to append to it a paragraph censuring the 

 Ministry for having ordered from England railway plant and water 

 pipes, which he alleged could have been manufactured in the colony. 

 The month's talk left no one the wiser, but the proposal was rejected 

 by forty-five votes to twenty-nine. It was a sample of the attitude 

 frequently assumed towards the Premier, which at times became 

 so pronounced as not only to block legislation, but even to take the 

 business of the House out of his hands. Mr. Bent, the Commissioner 

 of Eailways, made desperate efforts to ensure popularity by pro- 

 posing extensive railway works, involving the construction of over 

 800 miles of new lines, many of which, it was easily recognised, 

 could only add to the increasing drain upon the revenue. But 

 under existing circumstances they found enthusiastic supporters in 

 the men whose constituencies were supposed to be benefited ; while 

 outside Parliament the stalwart sons of labour then regarded Mr. 



