hold office uncomplained of; and to himself, in the slavish and degrading position he most cheerfully assumed on Sir George Gipps' memorable visit. On that occasion, and at the public dinner given to His Excellency in October, 1841, Mr. Latrobe licked the dirt publicly to Sir George Gipps, in these memorable words:— 'Your Excellency—I feel that I am now placed in my proper position; I am fully prepared to play second fiddle to your Excellency, to any tune you may please to lead.' And he continued for some minutes to ring the changes upon first and second fiddle to the utter disgust of all the thinking part of the company present. Could any language imply greater baseness, the meaning of which was self-evident? It might clearly be read thus:— 'Whatever dirty work, whatever base conduct you require of me, whatever dirt you order me to eat, or give to this people, I am the man to carry out your orders.' He had done so to the fullest extent of his limited capacity."
After some discursiveness, Mr. Fawkner unfolded his indictment, containing, amongst others, the following counts:—
"That Mr. Latrobe had wasted the public money, in having expended £450 on a private road leading to the house of Mr. Lyon Campbell, a particular friend, and only a paltry £50 on the Sydney Road; that he laid out upwards of £4000 on that miserable, abortive cut, the Beach Road, and only £50 on the Main Road of the colony; that he withheld some £20,000 from circulation in the years 1842 and 1843, when labour was to be had for the very lowest possible price—bricks, at 7s. per 1000; timber, 6s. per 100 feet, and all other work in proportion. Mr. Latrobe had delayed the erection of lighthouses at Cape Schanck and King's Island, and was consequently accessory to the loss of the hundreds drowned by the wreck of the immigrant ship, 'Cataraqui.' Again, does he not openly patronise a man notorious for receiving bribes? Aye, bribes from all conditions of men—from the half-dozen eggs, or the pound of butter, up to a cow or a calf, horses, grog, wines, champagne, brandy, and gin. Yes. There was a man present who gave this official a cheque lately for a portion of a run which he did not get. Yet the cheque was never returned. Another in order to obtain a slice of a neighbour's run, made a present of a pair of horses; but he, too, got 'put in the bucket.' It was, to use a homely expression, 'greasing the sow on the wrong side.' Yet this official was sustained by Latrobe; and though informed of such facts, has he cut the venal receiver of bribes? No! Has he not even refused to have this affair investigated? Does he not keep up the very greatest appearance he can show of friendship for this very traitor to the public? 'Birds of a feather;' you know the rest. In fact, the whole tissue of the Superintendent's misrule of the Province has been of one texture. It has one aim to please the 'First Fiddle,' never regarding the people who pay the fiddlers. Now to sum up, Mr. Latrobe has not only refused to get money for the Province, but he has actually refused to lay out the sums put into his hands; he has vilely, falsely, and wilfully traduced us. The Superintendent supports the man who, it is said, lives upon bribes; he has shown the littleness of his very paltry spirit by desiring the Government to spend upon Geelong the famous beach water-pipe money—and worse, if worse be possible—has written to the 'First Fiddle' to send to him here a keeper for the powder magazine, a keeper for the Lunatic Asylum, and, as I hear, even a new gaoler. Thus he betrays his paltry vindictiveness, and makes it appear that the free and energetic men who have made Port Phillip what it is, are not competent to fill these very petty offices. It is misrule, a deep hatred of the people, and an insult to all classes! But the man who has written ill of other places and people cannot be expected to spare even them from whom he draws his means of living."
The motion was supported by Mr. J. S. Johnston, in a clever, splenetic harangue, and carried amidst loud acclaim.
A lengthy Petition to the Queen was adopted on the motion of Mr. George Annand, and seconded by Mr. D. Young.
The third resolution was proposed by Mr. Robertson, seconded by Mr. Bingley, and passed, viz.:—
"That the following gentlemen be appointed a Committee to procure signatures and to forward the petition: Major Newman, Dr. P. MacArthur, Dr. A. Thomson, Messrs. T. M'Combie, J. P. Fawkner, G. Bingley, A. M'Killop, — Webster, D. Young, G. Annand, J. S. Johnston, and J. Rankin."
Three cheers were given in honour of the Chairman, and three times three for Her Majesty. The latter were accompanied by a wish that the Province might speedily be rid of the Queen's Representative in Port Phillip.
