After early attempts at passing a reform bill failed, Francis resigned in late July 1874 due to a serious bout of pleurisy. He was succeeded as Premier by the Attorney-General
George Kerferd, who accepted that constitutional reform in the existing parliament would not be possible. Kerferd made only one change to the ministry, with
James Service replacing
Edward Langton as treasurer. The Local Government Act was passed in December 1874, but very little else was achieved due to continual political obstruction. In late July 1875 the government's budget was carried in the parliament by a just single vote. In response Kerferd requested a dissolution, which was refused by the Acting-Governor,
Sir William Stawell, prompting the resignation of Kerferd and his ministry. The liberal politician,
Graham Berry, then met with the acting-governor and undertook to form a ministry. As Premier, Berry also took on the role of treasurer. He submitted a protectionist budget to the Legislative Assembly in September 1875, a significant part of which was a land tax. However Berry lacked a majority in parliament after a moderate liberal faction led by
James McCulloch had refused to join his ministry. Berry's revenue-raising land tax proposal provoked a political backlash. McCulloch then brought in a budget with generalised taxation features, without singling out the landholding class. Berry's subsequent attempts to block supply were to no avail, and McCulloch's ministry remained in office until the May 1877 elections. By means of political agitation and mass meetings, Berry consolidated his leadership of a radical opposition by polarising the parliament and branding McCulloch a reactionary. His land tax proposal became the central plank of his liberal protectionist movement to contest the election in 1877. ==See also==