of him as "a half-hanged ruffian." O'Connell was beaten, the result being:— Mitchell 195, Young 134, O'Connell 94. The declaration was made on the 29th, when Mr. Simpson returned thanks on behalf of Mitchell. Young was called for but did not appear, for though in Melbourne, it was said he was not aware of what was taking place. The O'Connellites were loudly discontented with the issue, though they derived some poor consolation by Mr. Mortimer handing in a protest on behalf of their protégé.
Though the general interests of Port Phillip were identified with those of the whole colony, there were special issues apart from them in which this Province was particularly concerned, such as an Equitable Participation in the Funds appropriated to Immigration, the Expenditure of the Revenue on Public Works, and other financial considerations; and occasions would arise in the Legislative Council when it was necessary in order to do justice to their constituents, that the non-residential representatives should consider Port Phillip first and New South Wales after. This was often embarrassing. There were, besides, times when the powerful opposition brought into existence, waged war so determinedly against the Government, that the fact of two of the District Representatives being Government office-holders proved very inconvenient; but Sir George Gipps soon let them know that contingencies might occur in which "open questions" could not be recognised, that salaried employés of the Executive, in choosing which of the two masters they should serve, should not ignore the quarter from which they drew their annual stipend, and that they were expected, on all questions of importance, to vote with the Government benches. The first intimation of this kind conveyed to Sir Thomas Mitchell, clearly convinced him that he could not preserve his independence as a Port Phillip member and his Surveyor-Generalship together; so as an honourable and upright man should do he resigned his seat.
The choice of his successor was made in Melbourne on the 10th September, 1844, and, without opposition, Mr. Benjamin Boyd, a gentleman largely concerned in the mercantile and marine interests of Sydney, "walked over the course" almost in solemn silence.
A blank of nearly a year now occurs without a single ripple of the Electoral waters, until the spring of 1845, when Messrs. Thomas Walker and A. W. Young resigned. The nomination for their successors was presided over by Mr. Verner, as Returning Officer, on the 7th August. Though the only candidates offering were Sydney men, it was known that for one of the seats there would be opposition. Mr. Archibald Boyd (another Sydney merchant and squatter) was proposed by Mr. Archibald Cunninghame and seconded by Mr. Peter Inglis; Mr. J. P. Fawkner proposed, and Mr. Richard Ocock seconded, Captain O'Connell (the gentleman previously defeated); and Mr. Edward Curr, who was prone to creating surprises, and, to the astonishment of most present, declared he had risen from a sick bed to offer his strongest opposition to Mr. Boyd, whom he (metaphorically) tomahawked in an unmeasured style. On a show of hands O'Connell had more than half in his favour, whilst there were only three for Mr. Boyd, who was not in attendance to demand a poll, and his "bottle-holders," unable to muster six electors to do it for him, Captain O'Connell was declared to have been duly elected. For the second vacancy there was no opposition, and Mr. T. E. Boyd was proposed by Major Firebrace, seconded by the Mayor (Dr. Palmer) and elected. This Mr. Boyd was for years manager of the Union Bank of Australia, and subsequently of the Colonial Bank. He was an expert in working Bank "screws," but was otherwise unknown, and it was only the impossibility of then procuring any other local man that permitted his return. As far as he was personally concerned, it was little more than a sham, for it is doubtful if he ever consented to be nominated. He was absent from the nomination and never performed any service for the "greatness" so forced on him during the three months he was a member, for he never even condescended to be a "sitting" one.
Mr. Benjamin Boyd resigned his seat in little more than a month, and on the 19th September the nomination of a successor took place. The loss of Mr. Edward Curr's eloquent advocacy of "Separation," the watch-word of the Province, was often acknowledged, and efforts were now made to bring him forward. By this time he had rubbed off the fretfulness occasioned by his first undeserved discomfiture. At first he "could not think of it," then he hesitated, and when a politician does so, he woos the fate of the proverbial hesitating lady. Finally, he was prevailed upon, and for a second time very scurvily treated, though not defeated. It was generally supposed Mr. Curr would be unopposed; but Mr. J. P. Fawkner nominated Mr. Neil Black, who was seconded by Mr. A. Sprot. Mr. Edward Curr was proposed by Mr. Thomas Wills, and seconded by Mr. E. E. Williams. Mr. Black was not in attendance, and had never sanctioned
