Page:A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Colonial Gentry Vol 2.djvu/82

 4(54 BURKE'S COLONIAL GENTRY. TcJiniit League, wLichsucceeded in returning in that year fifty members to Parliament, in consequence of the political union of the Presbyterians of the North, and the Catholics of the South. Mr. Duffy was elected for New Ross in 1852 ; and in concert with Frederick Luca.s, and George Henry Moore, founded the first independent Irish Party in the House of Commons. He resigned in 1855, owing to the numerous secessions in his party. In November of that year, he sailed for Australi-i, where he was received with unbounded enthusiasm. The colonies of New South Wales and Victoria, where he settled, joined in purchasing for him a freehold for £5,000, which qualified him for a seat in either house of the Legislature. He was elected to the first Victorian Parliament for the counties of Villiers and Heytesbury. In the first session he was chairman of a select committee on the federal union of the colonies and subsequently passed, in oppo.sition to the Government, the first Act of Parliament of Victoria, which abolished the property qualitication. In March, 1857, he became minister of public works, and the chairman of the central road board in the first responsible government, and in 1858, minister of public lands, but resigned next year. In 18G1, he re.sumed office as president of the board of lands and works, and the next year passed the well-known Land Act, which was however violated by many of those whom it was framed to benefit. Mr. Duffy revi.sited Eui-ope for a year or so in 1865, and on his return to Australia in 1867, was immediately elected for Dalhousie, and took a leading pai-t in the Darling Grant controvei'sy. He was a chaiiman of a Royal Commission on the payment of members, and of one concerning the federation of the Australian colonies. In 1871 Mr. Duffy became Premier, having declined to form an administration in 1869. His government threw open the colony for selection by abolishing the reserves, made in favour of pastoral tenants, and the tariff was made more protective. He gained an important victory in a controversy on the border duties with the government of New South Wales. In 1872 Mr. Duffy was chairman of a conference of Cabinet Ministers from all the Australian colonies, to press on the Imperial Government the repeal of the law affecting inter-colonial legislation on fiscal subjects, which was eventually successful in its object. Mr. Duffy resigned the premiership in June, 1872, in consequence of an adverse voce. He was offered the companionship of St. Michael and St. George, bat declined that honour, and was created a knight by patent in 1873. Sir Charles went home to Ireland in the following year, and was invited to re-enler the House of Commons, but not approving of the existing policy of the Irish party, he did not stand for election. He returned to Australia in 1875, and was elected by the important constituency of North Gippsland, and on the meeting of Parliament was unanimously chosen Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and continued in that office till February, 1880. He was created a K.C.M.G. in 1877, and returned to Europe in 1880. He published Young Ireland in that yeai', and its sequel Fom- Years of Iii^h Hisiory in 1883, and the League of North and South in 1886, and subsequently Thomas Davis, the Memoirs of an Irish Patriot, and Conversations uith Carlyle. He has since habitually con- tributed to the leading London reviews on colonial and Ii'ish questions. He is in receipt of a pension of £1,000 a year from the colony of Victoria. Sir Charles was chairman of the Tiustces of the National Galkrv of Victoria,