Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/417

 1899.] Victoria. [409

keeper of the house, -with whom was afterwards joined Dr. Gaze, who performed the operation, were indicted for the wilful murder of Mabel Ambrose The trial concluded on February 25 with a verdict of guilty against the two principals, with a recommendation to mercy ; Dr. Gaze being acquitted. The sentence of death was afterwards commuted to six years' penal servitude for Tod, and ten years for Madame Rodolsky.

A conference of naval officers was held at Melbourne on July 31, to consider the question of a naval reserve. They agreed on the inadvisability of the Admiralty's proposals as being unsuitable to the circumstances of the colony. They declared six months' service on board a man-of-war, as re- quired by the Admiralty, too long for the colonial sea-faring men, and the pay offered insufficient.

The Legislative Council rejected the Woman's Suffrage Bill on September 6 by a majority of 27 to 17.

Mr. Best, the Commissioner of Customs, made a significant declaration of future tariff policy in a speech delivered on August 30. He declared that the federal tariff was to be based on "scientific lines," and would be " fair, reasonable, and effectively protective " — the effective protection being furnished by duties of from 5 to 25 per cent, ad valorem.

The Turner Ministry, which had for some time shown signs of weakness, was defeated by a hostile combination, led by Mr. Maclean and Mr. Shiels, in the first week of December. A new Government was formed on its downfall upon a basis difficult to understand. On no leading point of policy did those who voted against Sir George Turner differ from those who gave him a languid and hesitating support. Mr. Shiels, who was regarded as the principal instrument of the change, is a politician of somewhat erratic character, whose financial ideas when in office before were of the wildest kind.

The offices in the new Ministry were distributed as follows : — Mr. Maclean, Premier and Chief Secretary ; Mr. Shiels, Treasurer ; Mr. Irvine, Attorney - General ; Mr. Outtrim, Minister of Mines ; Mr. Graham, Minister of Agriculture and Public Works ; Mr. M'Coll, Minister of Lands ; Mr. M'Coy, Minister of Education and Commissioner of Customs; Mr. Watt, Postmaster-General ; Mr. Davies, Solicitor-General; Mr. Melville, Minister of Defence and Health.

All the Ministers were returned by their constituents with- out opposition, except Mr. Watt and Mr. M'Coy. The latter was defeated, having aroused much unpopularity, owing to his opposition to the sending of a Victorian contingent to South Africa. Mr. Maclean, the Premier, had once opposed confederation, but it was not thought likely that his entrance into office would affect the prospects of the scheme of union.

The new Prime Minister made a speech at Bairnsdale on December 12, declaratory of the Ministerial policy. That policy did not differ materially from Sir George Turner's. There would