The late Government of Victoria were defeated at the general
election, and left in a minority of 12,—the reason being, we hope, that the country disapproves of the introduction of• the novel principle of a plebiscite into the constitutional system of the colony. Mr. Berry, of course, resigned ; and we learn, by a later telegram, that the different sections of the Opposition have so managed to patch up their differences as to form a Government. How far Mr. Service,—the former leader of Opposition, and, we suppose, the new Prime Minister, —will retain the support of the Catholic party, we cannot fed sure. He is pretty well pledged against denominational. education, which is the chief demand of the Catholic party;. and we observe that the leader of the Catholic party in the last Parliament does not at present appear to have joined the Government. If that party does not support Mr. Service, the new Government can hardly hold its own against Mr. Berry. We suspect a blunder in the telegram as to Sir Charles Gavan Duffy having accepted the office of Minister of Lands. Possibly Mr. Renter's agent confused Mr. Duffy, Sir C. Gavan Duffy's son, with the ex-Speaker. Mr. Duffy is a Conservative, of very different politics from his father, and_ much more likely to support Mr. Service.
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