The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-04 00:00:00

VICTORIA.

The following are extracts from the summary of
the MelbourniEferald of March 16 :
One great event has signalised the political his-
tory of the past month—it is the fall of the second
Haines Ministry, and the reinstatement of Mr.
O'Shanassy at the head of the administration. The
immediate cause of the retirement of the late Minis-
try from office was a vote of the Assembly, rejecting
Mr. Haines's scheme for apportioning the electoral
districts under his new Reform Bill. Having car-
ried the clause embodying his new principle of
giving representation o minorities, but only after
much sharp discussion, and by a narrow majority,
Mr. Haines's proposed plan for a re-distribution of
the general representation came on for discus-ion.
The plan gave much di-satisfaction to the great
body of the Ministerial supporters, since its direct
effect would have been to absorb many of the rural
constituencies of which they were the representa-
tives. Hence, when the schedule was movtd for
adoption, a strong opposition to it was at once
avowed on th© Ministerial side ; and Capt. Clarke,
formerly surveyor-general, and member of the first
Haines Ministry, moved an amendment, amount-
ing in effect to direct rejection of the schedule.
His amendment was carried by 26 votes against
18, and of the latter no less than nine were votes
from the opposition side of the house. The conse-
quence was that the Ministry saw the main boiy
of their own supporters arrayed against them on
a question which they, rightly enough, held to be
a vital one. There was n course, therefore, re-
maining open to them but one—resignation, and
they resigned accordingly.
E'er three or four days after the resignation an
unusual aed significant pause took place in the
arrangements for appointing a new ca',inet. People
began to woeder what was going forward, and all
sorts of sinister rumours were set afloat. Subse-
quently, Capt. Clarke was sent for by his Excel-
lency, and asked if he would undertake the forma-
tion of a new Ministry. On one condition, he
said, he would consent to do so—that in case of a
failure in the Assembly at first, the Ministry he
should form should be permitted to appeal to the
country. To this his Excellency replier that he
had formerly refused that condition to Mr. HaMes,
and could not, therefore, grant it to Capt. Clarke.
The latter gentleman thereupon recommended his
Excellency to send for Mr. Chapman, who had taken
the load in oppo-ting the ministerial principle of
representing minorities. That gentleman having
been summoned accordingly, he commenced the
formation of a Ministry ; and by calling in Mr.
O'Shanassy to take the chief p'ace, while he re-
served that of Attorney. General for himself, he
succeeded in what would else have been an impos-
sible task. Mr. O'Shanassy, it is true, was oue of
the nine opposition members who voted for Mr.
Haines's principle ; but it was evident at once that
unless Mr. Chapman could prevail on him to hold
that principle in abeyance, and unite with himself
on broader grounds of policy, the attempt to con-
struct a Cabinet wouli utterly fail in his hands.
Besides, it bad become apparent that a recall, or
even a reconstruction, of the Haines Ministry was
quite impracticable ; for the latter bad been his
Excellency's first proposition after the resignation
to the ea-premier, and Mr. Haines had endeavourt d
to accomplish it, but without success. There was
no possible Ministry, at the moment, therefore,
except one formed by a junction of Mr. O'Shatiassy
with Mr. Chapman. These considerations led the
former gentleman to accede to the -proposed terms;
and the new cabinet was framed as follows :—Chief
Secretary, Mr. O'Shanassy; Attorney-General, Mr.
Ire'and ; Trade and Customs, Mr. Henry Miller ;
Land and Works, Mr. Gavau Dutfy ; Postmaster-
General, Dr. Evans ; Leasure; Mr. Harker.
The country has acquiesced in the fall of the
Haines ministry, because everybody SAW it to be
inevitable;-and the general opinion now is, that the
new men should certainly be allowed a fair ch ince.