This serious loss of means and
position completed a breakdown that had probably begun before, so that
Kerr was no longer able for first-class work. We may envy this
opportunity to his old opponent, O'Shanassy, who, in power at the time,
generously found him a small appointment--a station upon one of the
railways--which gave him, at least, a comfortable, and, in a social way,
by no means ungenial home for the short remainder of his life.
It was mainly at my good friend Kerr's urgent instance that I entered
public life, which was in 1850, for the representation of Melbourne at
Sydney. Doubtless he had his own aims quite as much as my interests in
view, as he wanted the supposed good card, a Melbourne merchant, Scotch
and Presbyterian like himself into the bargain, to play against the
anti-Orange and Irish-cum-O'Shanassy party. I fear that his expected
henchman was too cosmopolitan at times. But Kerr rendered me a more
direct service at the subsequent election for Melbourne in Victoria's
first Parliament, by bringing me in at the head of the poll, which
happened in this way:--At the first count the poll stood thus:
O'Shanassy, Westgarth, Johnston, Nicholson, the latter being out, much
to his own and his friends' astonishment, as there were only three
seats.
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