Dibbs took over as Premier on the first occasion in October 1885 following the resignation of Alexander Stuart due to ill-health, with his ministry lasting for 75 days.

Barton was comfortably re-elected while the other seven other ministers, Sir George Dibbs (The Murrumbidgee), Henry Copeland (New England), John Kidd (Camden), William Lyne (The Hume), John See (Grafton), Thomas Slattery (Boorowa) and Francis Suttor (Bathurst), were re-elected unopposed.

[8] In January 1893 Sir Julian Salomons resigned from the ministry because he disagreed with several points of government policy.

[9] Barton and Richard O'Connor, the Minister of Justice had been representing the plaintiff in the case of Proudfoot v the Railway Commissioners before taking office and retained the brief as they had the right to carry out private practice as barristers.

Two years later the case still had not been resolved and in November 1893 they were questioned in parliament about whether it was proper for ministers to act against a government department.

[11] The Legislative Assembly resumed in January until it was dissolved on 25 June 1894, and a general election was held on 27 July 1894, at which Dibb failed to carry the vote.