608 PARLIAMENTS OF THE DOMINIONS [PART III 
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, in a telegram of the 22nd of 
February 1878, told the Governor that his duty was clearly 
to act in accordance with the advice of his ministers, 
provided he was satisfied that the action advised was 
lawful ; if not so satisfied, he should take his stand on the 
law ; if doubtful as to the law, he should have recourse 
to the legal advice at his command. In a dispatch of the 
23rd of January 1878.2 Sir G. Bowen reported the grounds 
on ‘which he had consented to terminate the services of 
certain officers of the Civil Service. Sufficient officers had 
been retained to provide for the administration of the 
country, all the steps taken were legal, and none of the 
unconstitutional contrivances adopted in the previous crisis 
and condemned by the Secretary of State for the Colonies at 
the time, had been sanctioned by the Governor. He had 
made it clear that he would not allow any interference with 
the currency or the banking institutions of the country. 
On the 25th of January, 1878, the Governor sent the 
opinion of the Attorney-General of Victoria, which stated 
that he concurred in the opinion of the Solicitor-General 
in 1858 that the resolutions of the Committee of Supply of 
the Lower House, when reported to, and adopted by, the 
House, made the amount legally available,and enclosed corres- 
pondence in 1857-66 with regard to Money Bills in Victoria. 
On the 26th of January * the Governor reported that he 
had found it necessary to call the attention of his ministers 
to the question of the legality of certain of their acts; 
it had been asserted on the 8th of January by his ministers 
that the action taken in terminating the services of certain 
judicial officers had been legal, but that assertion had been 
erroneous, and he had therefore insisted on the cancellation 
of the removal of these officers. On the other hand, repre- 
sentations were made by the Legislative Council of Victoria 
pointing out that the Governor had acted as a partisan in 
t Parl. Pap., C. 1982, p. 41. ? Ibid., p. 43. 
3 Parl. Pap., C. 1985, p. 5. 
* Ibid., p. 32. He did not add that many of the reinstated officers were 
simultaneously. but in due form, removed again from office.