Page:My Life in Two Hemispheres, volume 2.djvu/254

 my reasons to the House", but the extraordinary conduct of your colleagues in withholding all support from the Government proposal prevented me. The two speakers who followed you both approved the motion, and I thought that if I followed on the same side it might be considered as an unnecessary and uncalled-for assistance given to the enemies of the Government. I therefore waited and waited for some one to rise on the Government side, until at last the question was put. A moment afterwards I felt that I was wrong, and that even though I should have had to oppose your motion I ought to have spoken what I thought about yourself, more especially when you were deserted by those whose support you had a right to expect, and were assailed by ungenerous and unjust words from Mr. Brooke. I know that my motives in voting against the Government on this occasion will probably be misconstrued, but I shall not care what others think if you do not suppose that at this time of personal trial to you I have, for an unworthy purpose, refused you my support or ungenerously held my tongue because the audience was unfriendly to you. I really think that I was silent for a reason you would not censure, and yet I am distressed by the feeling that I may have seemed to have treacherously abandoned you.

"I earnestly hope that your judgment will not lead you to this unfavourable conclusion.—Believe me, yours very sincerely, "."

Current political rumours declared that Mr. O'Shanassy would come to an understanding with his late squatter supporters, and a new Administration, from which Mr. Duffy would be omitted, would deal with the crisis to their satisfaction.

It is certain some of my colleagues thought there would be a speedy reorganisation. As we were leaving the Government House Mr. O'Shanassy told the Chief Secretary's orderly, in that bantering tone popularly called "half joking, whole earnest," that he need not send him his books and portfolios, as he would be wanting them again in about a fortnight. But he strangely miscalculated the result of his