lieview of Reviews, 1{ Wis. PROGRESS OF THE WORLD. 



955 



no one knov/s whether the Labourites or 

 the Liberals have to form a Government. 

 Not only is there great delay, there is 

 all the expense of another election in 14 

 constituencies. 



Mr. Watt Resigns. 



The long-threatened trouble ni the 

 Victorian Parliament came to a head 

 on December 4th, when the Government 

 was defeated on an ' amendment to its 

 Redistribution Bill by two votes. The 

 " Corner," at one time called the Coun- 

 try Party, but now consisting of but few 

 of the fountry members, alliqd with 

 all those dissatisfied with the Govern- 

 ment, is the real cause of the dramatic 

 upset of the Ministry. Naturally the 

 Labour Opposition seized the oppor- 

 tunity vvith joy, and, anticipating the 



leader of the Corner, Mr. Elmslie him- 

 self proposed the amendment on which 

 the Government was defeated. Mr. 

 Watt at once waited on the Lieutenant- 

 Governor, and tendered the resignation 

 of the Ministry. He did not, however, 

 offer Sir John Madden any advice, was 

 presumably not asked to do so. Mr. 

 Elmslie was then sent for, and, having 

 assured Sir John that he, felt able with 

 his 20 followers to carry on the Govern- 

 ment in a House of 65, he was entrusted 

 with the task of forming a Ministry. 

 This was done by ballot of his fol- 

 lowers, as is now always the rule in the 

 Labour Party. 



Mr. G. A. Elmslie was made Premier 

 and Treasurer. 



Mr. G. M. Prendergast, Chief Secre- 

 tary. 



THE FIRST VESSEL TO PASS THROUCH THE l.OCKS OF THE PANAMA CANAT.. 

 The Tug-boat " G.atun " in the I>owest of the three Locks Leading from the Sea-level to the 



Gatun Lake. 

 The three great locks forming the communication between the sea-level portion of the Canal 

 on the Atlantic side and the great Gatun Lake weie subjected to a practical test, when the sea- 

 going tug " Gatun " successfully passed througli the flight of locks and anchored in the Lake, 

 which is eighty-five feet above the sea. and extends for nearly half the length of the Canal— 

 twenty-four out of fifty miles. The locks, wliich are in duplicate, are each 1000 feet long, 110 feet 

 wide, and 40 feet deep. 



