Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/309

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DICTIONARY OF AUSTRALASIAN BIOGRAPHY.
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and at the same time terminated the dilemma by intimating the inability of himself or his wife to accept anything in the shape of a donation from the people of Victoria. Two years later, when Sir James M‘Culloch was once more Premier, a measure passed both Houses, which secured a life annuity of £1000 a year to Lady Darling, whose husband had in the meantime died in England. Sir James M‘Culloch resumed office as Premier, Treasurer, and Chief Secretary, with a slightly altered following, in July 1868, on the retirement of the Sladen Government, who still remained in a hopeless minority in the Assembly. The second M‘Culloch Ministry resigned in September of the following year, Sir James becoming Premier for the third time in April 1870, when he again took the portfolio of Treasurer and Chief Secretary. Additional taxation being necessary, Mr. M‘Culloch was urged by his protectionist supporters to increase the import duties; but this he refused to do, proposing to provide for the deficit by levying a tax on town, suburban and country property. This scheme proving unacceptable, he resigned, and was succeeded by Mr. (now Sir) Charles Gavan Duffy, in June 1871. In the meantime Sir James had been knighted in celebration of the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh, who arrived in Victoria during his second premiership, For a considerable period during the years 1872 and 1873 he acted as Agent-General in London for Victoria, and in 1874 was created K.C.M.G. Returning to the colony he became Premier, Chief Secretary, and Treasurer for the fourth and last time on Oct. 20th, 1875, and held office till May 1877, when, his party sustaining a crushing defeat at the general election, he made way for Mr. (now Sir Graham) Berry, who, on the ground that the majority supporting the last M‘Culloch Government in the Assembly only represented the minority in the country, persistently obstructed the business of the Lower House during the latter portion of Sir James' tenure of office, with the view of forcing on a dissolution. This course of conduct led to the introduction of the closure, or "iron hand," as it was locally called, with a view to frustrating the obstructionist, or, as they were styled, the "stonewalling" tactics of the Opposition under Mr. Berry, Sir James M‘Culloch was himself re-elected for Warrnambool in 1877; but finding his party reduced to an inconsiderable fraction in the Assembly, he shortly afterwards retired from Parliament, and has since, with a short interval, resided in England, where he is now permanently settled. Sir James was twice President of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, and has been chairman of several banks and numerous important public companies. He takes a warm interest in the National Gallery of Victoria, of which he was a trustee for many years, and has assisted in the selection of numerous paintings purchased for it in England. He married, first, in 1841, Susan, daughter of the late Rev. James Renwick, of Muirton, Scotland; and, secondly, in 1867, Margaret, daughter of William Inglis, of Walflat, Dumbartonshire.

M‘Culloch, Hon. William, M.L.C., son of Samuel M‘Culloch, J.P., of Chippermore, was born in Wigtonshire, Scotland, and came out to Victoria in 1852. In 1861 Mr. M‘Culloch formed the largest carrying company in the colony, under the title of William M‘Culloch & Co., which in 1868 was converted into a limited company. For the last twenty years Mr. M‘Culloch has devoted his attention to squatting, and has spent large sums in the importation of high-class stock. He was elected to the Legislative Council for the Gippsland Province in 1879, and was re-elected in 1880 and 1890.

MacDermott, Marshall, was elected to the South Australian Legislative Assembly for Flinders in the first Parliament under responsible government in Feb. 1857, and was Commissioner of Crown Lands and Immigration in Mr. (afterwards Sir) R. R. Torrens' administration from Sept. 1st to 30th, 1857. In Sept. 1859 he resigned his seat on accepting a permanent post in the Civil Service. He died on Nov. 3rd, 1877.

MacDermott, Hon. Townsend, was born in Ireland, graduated at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1840, and was called to the Irish Bar. Emigrating to Australia, he was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1855, and to the Bar of New South Wales in 1877. He was returned to the Victorian Assembly at the head of the poll as one of the members for Ballarat East at the general

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