blanket before a wild bull. He was a man of exceptional ability and untiring energy; but a kind of political church militant, never out of trouble with his own or some other sect. He invariably fanned the smouldering embers of religious fanaticism. For Melbourne, Mr. Edward Curr was a candidate, and his admitted talent and past public services led to a presumption that he would not be opposed; but this belief was unfounded. From the Civic Elections of the year before there survived a remnant of party feeling, which the presence of Dr. Lang (now arrived) roused to a wild frenzy; and thus the efficient representation of the town sank into a very secondary consideration, as compared with the gratification of sectarian intolerance. Much difficulty was experienced in getting a party of sufficient social standing to enter the lists against Mr. Curr, whose special fitness for the post was universally acknowledged; and but for Curr himself, the probability was that he would have had a "walk-over." Lang was at this time a declared candidate, and he, Curr and others, addressed various meetings of the constituencies. Mr. Curr was very dogmatic and overbearing, and at one of his gatherings he declared that if Dr. Lang were returned for the district, he (Curr) wrould not go to Sydney as member for Melbourne. This was crossing the line and no mistake. Many who appreciated Curr's ability rebelled against his bounce. Renewed efforts were made to get up an opposition, and a rival was finally found in Mr. Henry Condell, the brewer (who was also Mayor), a vain, empty-headed individual, and whose candidature, under ordinary circumstances, would have been resented as an impertinence.
There were six candidates for the five district seats, and the interest of the election was centred in the return or rejection of Dr. Lang. The candidates were:— Dr. Thomson (of Geelong), Mr. C. H. Ebden, Dr. Lang, Sir Thomas Mitchell (Surveyor-General), Dr. Nicholson, and Mr. Thomas Walker, a wealthy merchant. The reasons of there being only two "Port Phillipians" were the inconvenience and expense entailed by a Parliamentary attendance in Sydney. The most virulent opposition was directed against Lang, some of whose meetings were of the rowdiest kind, and he more than once narrowly escaped personal violence.
The First District Election
Was the first to take place, and the nomination was fixed for the 13th June. The hustings was erected at the Cattle Market, now the intersection of Elizabeth and Victoria Streets, and from an early hour its vicinity was garrisoned by all the available police force (cavalry and infantry), supplemented by a number of ticket-of-leave convicts, whom Major St. John, the Returning Officer, in some perverse freak of humour, had sworn in as special constables. He also issued cards of admittance to the stage, without which no person was permitted to ascend to the reserved circle. About 11 o'clock the Committee and supporters of Sir Thomas Mitchell made their appearance, wearing scraps of ribbon and waving small flags. Dr. Nicholson's partisans were followed by those of Messrs. Ebden and Walker, whoo chartered the Town Band, and the musicians wore white and red rosettes, having their instruments ribanded in similar finery. They also sported half-a-dozen banners inscribed with "Separation," "Independence," "Education," etc. The last to appear was the thoroughly hated, and thorough good hater—the Reverend Doctor, encircled by a cordon of backers, in a state of ultra-excitability. Each candidate was loudly cheered, but Dr. Lang was saluted with a hurricane of groaning and cheering, the groans preponderating, and the united discord of sounds echoing through the surrounding forest. Lang boldly confronted the bellowing human herd, with a peculiar physiognomical expression of half sneer worked into a mixture of smile and frown. In response, the vocabulary of back-slum slang was put under requisition for terms sufficiently opprobrious, and the vilest threats and most foul-mouthed epithets were hurled at him. Firm as a tower, and cool as a cucumber, he never quailed for a moment as he gazed on the sea of contorted faces surging below him. The spirit of the game-cock was now in his eye, though, as a rule, he preferred the distant war-whoop to a close quarter combat. During a temporary calm the following nominations were made:—
Dr. Alexander Thomson, proposed and seconded by Messrs. James Montgomery and Skene Craig.
The Rev. John Dunmore Lang, by Dr. Peter M'Arthur and Mr. George S. Brodie.
Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell, by Mr. J. L. Foster and Captain M'Crae.
