us,
unconstitutional, and disloyal: under these circumstances they resigned
their seats, as the only open course, and submitted their conduct to the
judgment of the Queen.

The opposition to the measures of Wilmot could not be in every instance
justified if separately considered. But the colony discovered in the
governor an inflexible determination to carry out the system of
probation under the instructions of Lord Stanley. It was not possible to
resist the secretary of state, the chief aggressor. The imperious tenor
of his despatches taught the people that mere remonstrance would be
unavailing. They could only arrest his attention by involving his agents
in embarrassment. Repeated motions for the attainment of the same object
are certainly incompatible with legislative order. A small party might
retard the public business, and gain no good end by delay; but the exact
line between fair and factious opposition is not easily discovered and
can be often only ascertained by the result. In this instance the
object was clearly expressed in a rejected resolution:--"This council do
decline voting the sums stated in the estimates laid on the table for
the payment of the judicial, police, and gaol establishments during the
ensuing year, as far as the expenses of the convict department with
respect to those items are incurred. At the same time they desire to
place on record an expression of regret that they should, by a sense of
duty, be compelled to adopt any measure likely even temporarily to
embarrass his excellency's government."[246]

The cause of "the patriotic six," as they were called, was eagerly
espoused by the colony. To supply the vacancies occasioned by their
retirement was the labor of weeks. The governor defended himself from
the charge of despotism, and declared that he would never interrupt the
freedom of debate or attempt to force the compliance of the council. The
opposition press held up to scorn those disposed to accept a nomination,
and gentlemen who did so were assailed with scandalous abuse,--so easily
is the noblest cause degraded by its friends. A more suitable expression
of popular feeling was given on the return of Mr. Dry to his native
town. He was escorted by a large concourse of people and with all the
usual tokens of public esteem. The father of Mr. Dry was exiled during
the political troubles of Ireland in the last century, and after a
respectable career attained considerable wealth. The son, the