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Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly WEDNESDAY, 28 JULY 1909 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy .Addnss m Repl_y. [28 J L'LY.] Pe1·sonal Explanation. 429 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. '\VED~ESDAY, 28 JULY, 1909. The SPEAKER (Hon .•J. T. Bell, Dalby) took the chair at half-past 3 o'cbck. PERSONAL EXPLANATION. The THEASURER (Hon. A. G. 0. Haw thorn, Enoggera) : \Vith the permission of the House I desire to make a personal explanation wit.h reference to the remarks which fell last night from the hon. member for Barcoo. Mr. MANN : I rise to a point of order. The hon. member has already made an explanation. 0PPOSITIO~ l\fEMBERS : Hear, hear! The SPEAKER: Order, order! I think we might hear what the hon. member has to say. A serious accu~ation was n1ade against the hon. member last night, anrl I think if he has something to say very briefly, he should be permitted to speak. Mr. MANN: He has not spoken on the motion. He has the right of reply. The TREASURER : Last night the hon. member for Barcoo was fully seized of certain facts when he alludei to what had taken place, m;d 1 was taken at a disadvantage in hadng to speak on a matter that nccurred some eighteen months ago. l\'lr. KERR: No; not eighteen months ago. The 'I'REASUHER: I have made full inquiry at the Lands Office in regard to the matter, and I now wish to put before the House a full state ment of exactlv what occurred. The hon. mem ber !aRt night insinuated that I, as a member of the Ministry, had r:;iven Oliver Smith and Oo., or assisted to give them, a preference. Mr. KERR: No; you ac:ed as their agents. Hon . .A. G. G. Hawthorn.] 430 Personal Explanation. [ASSEMBLY.J Address in Reply. The TREASURER: 'Whereby they obtained that the hon. member can tell me that the other for practically ~d. an acre, land for which, sub day I permitted the hon. member for Fassifern sequently, 3d. per acre was got, from some to make a statement based on a publication of selectors. that kind. I am aware of thM. But, when that Mr. HA}JILTON : That is not what he said. took place, I was under the impression that I was The TREASURER: I may say that :VIessrs. giving too much latitude, and since then I have Oliver Smith and Co. were the proprieLoro of referred to authorities, and I found I had cer two runs in the Blackall district--his Downs tainly given too much latitude. Hon. members and Avington. The second run-A vington-was will see that if a member, when a criticism dis cut up in accordance "ith the 1884 Act-a port tasteful to him occurs in a newspaper, is going to tion resumed, and a portion leased to them as make it a suhject of a personal explanation in lessees. It was divided in 1886, and 221 square Parliament, the business of the country will miles were resumed. In 1805--that is fourteen never be finisheil. · years ago-five portions were opened for grazing HoNOURABLE ME~IBERS : Hear, hear ! selection, but up to the year 1907 only one had Mr. MANN : I would point out that the hon. been taken at ld. per acre. In 1907 two were member for Clermont referred to some remarks taken at ~d. an acre, and the retnaining two are in the TVorker, and you allowed him to proceed. still vacant. 'I' be lessees, meantime, had a dtlpas turing right over the balance at 16s. per square OPPOSITION ME}IBERS: Hear, bear! mile. In August, 1907, the lessee,; asked that 124 The SPEAKER: Order, order! The hon. square miles, including the two portions rema.in member is quite correct. I undoubtedly gave ing unse!ected, be opened for lease, so that they too much latitude to the hon. member for could have a permanent tenure, which would Clermunt. I did not realise for some time that enable them to put down bores on what was he wa' referring to a statement in a newspaper. practically waterless country. Commissioner I regret very much nnt being able to allow the Robson Scott, reporting on the country, stated hon. member to make a statement, but I am it to be scruhby, heavily timbered, and almost convinced I am ac~ing in accordance with the waterless, and that, riding along the Avington precedents of Parliament. boundary fence for several miles, he saw nothing but gidya scrub- partly open, but chiefly HoNOURABLE J\IEli!BERS : Hear, hear ! dense. Mr. MANN : I am fnlly satisfied. I wished Mr. KERR: He was never on the land. to get up to show the House how this can be The TREASURER: He did not consider carrie'i too far. I did not intend to bring this that the country would be selected, and recom matter up, but as you allowed the hon. member mended that it be opened for lease, for Enoggem to make an explanation, I wished Mr. KERR: He was never inside the boundary. to show that it could be carried too far. The TREASURER: It was accordingly de cided to open for le<tse, with priority to the ADDRESS IX REPLY. les,ees, at a rent of £1 7s. 6d per.quaremile, and a minute was bronghc before the Cabinet to \VANT O>' CoNFIDENC'E MoTroN-REsL'~IPTION carry that out, and aml)ngst the signatures to that 01!' DEBATE. minute was the signature of the hon. member for HoN. R. PHILP (Townsville), who was Barcoo. received with "Hear, hears!'' said: I have Mr. KERR: No; I was absent. listened very carefully for the last five weeks to The TREASURER: 'l'he hon. member said hon. members' speeches-- last night that he was away at the time, but the OPPOSlTIO:I' ME~IBERS : Five weeks ! and minute shows he was present. laughter. Tbe SJ>EAKER: Order ! The hon. member Ho:-;. R. PHlLP: ,Six weeks, I think. I must confine himself to a purely person".] ex have liHtened to a number of speeches delivered planation. for and against this motion, and I must confess The TREASURER : In view of thP state that I have so far found nu go,,d reason why I ments that the bnd would nm;· be selected if should vote for the mot,ion of the hon. member opened it waR withdrawn and in:-;tructions given for Fortitwle Valley. (Opposition laughter.) I to design it for sdecti(ln, The land has nc~t yet have no rPason to ahn~e anyonP, and there will heen Oj;ened for selection. The land referred to not. be any personalities in wha.t I have tn flay~ as lately having be.en selected at 3d. per acre I think there h"s been a great den] too much does not comprise any of the laud which was to abnsP, and that a g( od n1any things ha\ e been have been opentd for lease. The se!tcted land said which many hon. tnemben; \Vill n·gret after is t.hat tec~ntly rt:'\Umed from Avington holding ward~, and wi~h they t~oulrl. unsay. L:t..,t night fur settlement, and is first class ::;heep country. the hon. m"znber for Ba.rcoo told us that when I think that will absolutely absolve m<' fro'm he brought the Mount :EIIiott Rail way Bill any accusation the hon. li1Rn1ber for Barcoo in the House he told the Premier that the made. bringing in of the Bill would canse a rupture GoVERNMEN'r ?ITE}fB!m~ : Hear, hear ! with the Labour party. He told him that, but still he per;istFl in bringing the Bill in. He Mr. :\IAKN: As personal explanations seem passed the Bill, and he says now thctt the Bill to be the <•rder of the day, I rise to make a per was a good Bill, and that he is not ashamed of it. f'Onal explanation, too. The Cou1'icr, in its "Gallery Nntes," say:;:, "But in his speech nir. GOVERN~IE:I'T JYIE~IBERS : Hear, hear ! iYiann trespassed much more seriously"-- Ho:l'. R. PHILP : How can the hon. member 'l'he SPEAKER: Order, order ! I gather for Barcoo now give a good reason for his action from what the hon. member is reading he is in lea,ving the present G-ovPrnment.? He was one about to reply to some statement which appeared who brought about the rupturf\ wich the Labour in a newspaper. party. After that rupture, if the Government Mr. MANN : Yes. carried on, they mu-::;t get t.'le as~istance of some other party. They go~ their assistance, and now, The SPEAKER : I should like to point out forsooth, because the Premier has got the a>sist to the hon. member that that can fairly be con ance of the Philp party, the hon. me•nber for sidered outside the scope of subjects under which Barcoo thoughc tit tn leave the Government and a personal explanation can be made. I am aware oppose the present fusion of parties. And for [Hon. A. G. C. Hawthorn. Address in Reply. [28 JuLY.] Address zn Reply. 431 what reason? Is it in order that he will not be HoN. R. PHJLP: I never spoke to Mr. able to bring in any more Bills like the Mount Kidston on the matter at all. However, that Elliott Bill, which was, he admitR, ~good Bill, goes by the way. I say that so far as that and a Bill which has done so much for that part gentleman's interests in this country are con-· of the country? I like to see a member logical cerned, I do not think be cares one fig whether in any action he takes up.