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Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly TUESDAY, 13 JULY 1886 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENTARY DEBATEJS. LEGISI..~ATIVE ASSEMBLY. FOURT'H SHlSSION OF TI-IE NINTH PARLIAMENT. APPOINTED TO MEET AT RRISTIANE, ON THE THIRTEE:<TII DAY OF JULY, IN THE FIFTIETIIYEAR OF THE REIGN OF IIER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1886. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. 2. By the death of Francis Ben.ttie, Esfjuire, Tuesday, 13 Jnly, 1886. one of the members for the electoral district of Additional Membcrs.-Vacancies during the Rec''·'1S. Fortitude Valley. Ministerial Statement.-Leader of the Opposition. 3. By the resignation of the Hon. Sir Thomas Auditor-General's Reports.-Elections and Quali Mcllwraith, K.C.M.G., member for the elec fications Committee.-Bill pr·o form d.-The Opening Spcech.-Addrc's in Reply. toral district of Mulgrave. THE House met at 12 o'clock, a few minutes That upon the occurrence of each of the said after which hour a message was conveyed by the v:10ancies I issued my writ for the election of a Usher of the Black Rod that Hi" Excellency member to fill the same ; :1nd that two of such the Administrator of the Government requested writs have been duly returned to me with certi the attendance of Mr. Speaker and hon. mem ficates duly endorsed thereon, of the election of bers of the Legislative Assembly in the Council the following gentlemen, namely :- Chamber. 1. William Pattison, Esquire, as member for the electoral district of Blackall. The SPEAKER, accompanied by hon. members of the Assembly, accordingly proceeded to the 2. Samuel \Vood Brooks, Esquire, as a Legislative Council, and, hn.ving heard the member for the electoral district of Fortitude Address of His Excellency, returned to their Valley. own Chamber. MEMBERS SWORN. The House resumed at half-past 3 o'clock. Mr. Samuel Wood Brooks was sworn in, and took his seat as a member for the electoral district ADDITIONAL MEMBERS. of Fortitude Valley. The SPEAKER said: I have the honour to Mr. Francis Reid Murphy was sworn in, and report that writs issued by me for the election of took his seat as member for the electoral district a member for the electoral districts of Barcoo of Barcoo. and Musgrave respectively have been duly re turned to me, with certificates endorsed thereon Mr. Hobert Philp was sworn in, and took his of the election of the following gentlemen, seat as member for the electoral district of namely:- Musgrave. 1. Francis Reid Murphy, Esquire, as member MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. for the electoral district of Barcoo. The PHEMIEH (Hon. S. W. Griffith) said: 2. Robert Philp, Esquire, as member for the Mr. Speaker,-! have to inform the House that electoral district of M usgra ve. during the recess a change has taken place in the formal constitution of the Government. V ACANOIES DURING THE RECESS. The work attached to the office of Coloni:1l Secretary, which was held by myself, was found The SPEAKER said: I have further to report more than I could at. tend to in addition to other that since the termination of the last session the matters more particularly connected with my following vacancies have occurred in the House:- position as head of the Government. Advantage 1. By the resignation of Archibald Archer, was therefore taken of the powers conferred by the Esquire, member for the electoral district of Officiale in Parliament Act of 1884 to make a Blackall. change in the nomin:1l constitution of the 1886-B 2 Leader of tlte Opposition. [ASSEMBLY.] The Openin_q Speech. Government. His Excellency the Governor was some respects ; but whatever m"y take place, I pleased to constitute a new office-that of Chief am quite sure the desh·e of this side of the House Secretary ; and it was declared that the Chief is that no unfriendly feeling shall be exhibited, Secretary should be one of the Ministers who and that no unfriendly remarks shall be made might sit in Parliament, and, further, the which are likely to cause the least friction offices of Colonial Secretary and Secretary for between the two sides. Public Instruction were at the same time combined. The Chief Secretary is charged AUDI'fOR-GE~ERAL'S TtEPOHTS. with the business connected with the following matters :-Legislation, defence, foreign corres The SPEAKER said: I have to report to the pondence, immigration, commissions and other House th"t I have received the following letter instruments nnder the Great Seal of the Colony; from the Auditor-General:- and correspondence with His Excellency the "Audit Department, Queensland, Governor, the Judges of the Supreme Court, "Brisbane, 13th July, 1886. the President and Clerk of the Legislative Coun uSIR, cil, the Speaker and Clerk of the Legislative "In pursnnnce of the provisions of the Audit Assembly, the consuls of foreign States, navuJ Act of 187! 138 Yic .. No. 12). I do myRelf the honour to and military authorities, the Secretaries of transmit here,vith, for presentation to the I_jegislative Colonial Governments, the Agent-General, the Asscmhly, the Trcnsnry Statements or the recelpts and expcnflitnrc of the Consolidated Revouuo, the Loan, a.nrl heads of the several Churches, and the Govern· the several 'rrust Funds for the financinJ year cnllcd ment Resident at Thursday Isbnd; and is 30th June, 1885, together with my report thercon. further charged, in conjunction with the Colonial ~• I have the honour to be, Sil\ Secretary, with the control of such other matt~rs attached to the Colonial Secretary's Depart "Your obedient servant, ment as may from time to time be found expe H vv. L. G. DREW, dient. That arrangement has been carried out, "Auditor-GeneraL and I now hold the office of Chief Secretary, "The IIononrahlo the Speaker of the Legislative and my hon. friend Mr. Moreton holds the com Assembly." bined offices of Colonial Secretary and Minister On the motion of the COI,ONL\.L TltEA· for Public Instruction. SUUER (Hon. J. R. Dicksou). the St:tte mcnts and Report enclosed were ordered to be LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. printed. Mr. NORTON said: Mr. Speaker,-I rise to The SPEAKER said: I have also to report make an explanation to the House in regard to a to the House that I have received the following change which has taken place since the proroga letter from the Auditor-General :- tion of the House last session. As hon. members are aware, the leader of the Opposition has n Audit Department, Queensland, resigned his seat in Parliament and therefore it "Brisbane, 13th Jnly, l88H. <I SIR, devolved upon the party to elect someone else to "In compliance with the :provisions of the Gth fill, so far as he can, the phtce previously occupied clause of the Savings I~ank Act of 1870 131< Yic., No. 10), by Sir Thomas Mci!wraith, or at any rate to fill I have the honour to report to the Legislative .Assemhl.r that place to the best of his ability. I had hoped, tha.t the Government debentures :tnd other sccnriUc~ when the hon. gentleman opposite rose to make held in trust for the Savings Bank by the President of the announcement concerning the change in the the Lcgislntive Council, the Speaker of the IJcgislativc Asscmllly, and the Colonial 'rrensurer, were dnly Government offices, that he might possibly make examined, eouuted, and auditetl, on the 1st iw;tant, some graceful reference to the gentleman who and that thcv were found correct. has for many years occupied a distinguished ''The encl~osecl statement shows how the f1~nds of the position in this House and a distinguished Savings Bank were inYestcd on that date. position in the Australian colonies. I am quite sure that on both sides of the House there is a ~~I hat0 the honour to b(\ sir, feeling of general regret that one who has "Your obedient servant, occupied the position Sir Thomas Mci!wraith "1V. L. G. DnE·w, has held-·who has occupied so important a H Auditor-Gcncrnl. position in the history of the colony-I am "The Honourable the Sllea.kor or the J.. egislativc sure that a general feeling of regret is Assembly." felt on both sides of the House that he On the motion of the COLONIAL TRJ~A has felt it incumbent upon him to retire, not SURER, the Heport and Statement enclosed only from his position as leader of the Oppo· were ordered to be printed. • sition, but also from Parliament altogether. I need not say more on this subject, because any words I may make use of will not add one atom ELECTIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS to the feeling of general regret felt through COMMITTEE. out the colony at Sir Thomas Mcilwraith's retirement, both by his friends and his The SPEAKElt, in accordance with the provi foes. The announcement I have now to sions of the Constitution Act, laid on the table make is that the gentlemen who form the his warrant appointing the Committee of Elec Opposition, or those of them now in town, tions and Qualifications for the present session. met together this afternoon, and have done me the honour to select me as their leader. BILL PRO FORJJfA. I can only regret that the office has not fallen The PltEMIER presented a Bill to amend upon one who could fill it with more rtbility, and the law relating to stnuggling, and rnoved th~t one who is more, I might say, ready to t!Ll<& the it be read a first time. office than myself. It was with .some reluctance I accepted it; but I felt bound, under the cil·cum Question put and P"ssed.