After McCulloch's crushing defeat he retired from politics without returning to parliament. He resigned from the seat of Warrnambool in May 1878. After McCulloch's retirement,
James Service emerged as the leader of the numerically depleted Opposition. Service's politics were more of a pragmatic and
constitutionalist nature. This term of government was dominated by Berry's struggle with the
Legislative Council after that body rejected an appropriations bill in December 1877. On 8 January 1878 ('Black Wednesday') Berry responded by dismissing large numbers of public servants and judges in an effort to discredit the council. ==See also==