26 June 1906
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26 Obituary. [&SSEX1BLY.][SE BY Ex-President.xPeiet to be an honour then, and I feel it more lttgistatibc cT ancit, so now, that on the only occasion on which this great man visited these shores Tuesday, 26th June, 1906. it was my privilege to welcome him on behalf of the people of Western A us- Mion:U Late Prosident's Eeirenext, record of tralia. It is a matter of very deep regret .................... .. 2 Address~in.eply,appreciation debate resumed, ndjoume ... 2 to me tbat he was unable to carry out his purpose of coming to Perth and still TE PRESIDENT (Hon. H. Briggs) farther making himself acquainted with the people of this State, as he promised took the Chair at 4-30 o'clock p.m. to do on his next Visit. However, He who rules all things has ordered other- PRaAVERS. wise, and now we have to mourn the loss of one of the greatest men the Empire has PAPERS PRESENTED. ever known. I think be may very rightly By the PA-9sIDnNTr: Public Accounts be bracketed with Cecil Rhodes, the for the Financial Year ended 30th June, great empire-builder, and I am certain 1905, accompanied by the Fifteenth his genial character, his deep earnestness, Report of the Auditor General. his sincere desire for the welfare of the By the COLONIAL SECCRETARtY: t, The people not only of New Zealand but of Mining Act, 1904-Amendments of and the whole of Australasia, link him to us Additions to Regulations1. 2, The Mining with bonds that will long be felt and long Development Act, 1 92-Regulations for can be trusted and tried. I have very the purchase of Auriferous Copper Ores at great pleasure-a melancholy pleasure, I Phillips River. 3, Fiuheries Act, 1905- admit-in supporting the motion which Reguilations. 4, Goldfields Water Supply has been moved. Administration-By-laws. Question put and passed, the members standing. MOTION-LA-TE PRESIDENT'S RETIRE- MENT. RECORD ADJOURNMENT. Or A.PPRECIATION. Tn_ COLONIAL SECRETARY (Hon. THE PREMIER moved "That the 3. D. Connolly) said: Ift is with a feeliug House at its rising do adjourn until of considerable regret in one sense that I Tuesday next, 26th June, at 4-30 o'clock have to move the following motion: p. In.) Question passed. That this House desires to piece on record its regret at the retirement of Sir George The House adjourned accordingly at Shenton from the 4Vgislative Council and 5-14 until the next Tuesday. from the office of President, and expresses the hope that his health miay again permit him to give his valuable services to the State. I think members will agree with me that our late President, Sir George Shenton, deserves well of his country, having devoted the best days and hours of his life to occupying public positions. We can hardly hope-I think it is rather too much to expect-that the last padt of the motion, namely that his health miay so improve that he will come back into public life, will be realised. However, I feel glad that Sir George Shenton has decided to retire, for this reason, that it is very hard for a. public man, after he has long occupied a public position, and particularly the public positions Sir George Sheuton has occupied for some thirty odd years, to continue actively in the work. We generally find that a man Ex-Presidenl'8 [26 JUNE, 1906.1 Ex-resden's 26EXE 196.1Retirement. 27 goes on Until it is too much for him. any other member- [Dr. HACKETT: NO.] We had a very sorrowful example of -to second this motion. that the other dlay in the death of R~ON. J. W. HACKETT (South-West): the late Right Honourable Richard I think Ilam not quite the oldest acquaint- Seddon; and I think that Sir George ance and friend of Sir George Shenton, Sbenton, considering the state of his. yet I can speak from close upon a quarter health, acted wisely in showing the of a century's experience, which in most courage to relinquish his position. As eases is sufficient to test the quality and I have said, I think Sir George deserves calibre of the wen with whom one comes well of his country; and Western Aus- into contact. I accept the duty which tralia should he proud of such a son. my hon. friend has placed in my bands Speaking more perhaps from the point of with the utmost pleasure, for it enables view of an Australisn, I think that Aus- me to rise in this House and testify to tralia as a whole indeed has no cause to the universal regard in which our'late be ashamed of her public men, when we President was held. Sir George Shenton find that during the Federation period was one who had the honour of being the she could put forth, as she has done and Leader of this House, and he eminently does to-day, the Prime Minister and a, deserves well, of this country. It so majority of theMinistry, the Chief Justice, happens that the whole of Sir George's and in fact the whole of the High Court; public life covers exactly, up to the pre- men of whom a country of much greater sent day, the politi2al history of Western population than Australia might, I con- Australia. He first gave his talents and sider, well be proud. And in one of the knowledge to the country of his birth States forming that Commonwealth, when, in 1870, a partially popular consti- namely Western Australia, we find even tution was accorded to Western Australia. a still better example. I know that when Not only was he a trusted speaker in the 1 came to) Western Australia some 13 old Legislative Council, and one whose years ago I was forcibly struck with the words in the Council were listened to, fact that the majority of the first Ministry but his de-votion to his work was such in the little State, which then had I think that when we passed into the fully a population of 60,000 to 70,000, eon- popular stage, when Responsible Govern- sisted of men native-born, one of them ment was granted to us, it was with beug the gentleman to whom I am now universal a~pproval that be was offered referring, the late President of the Legis- the position of Colonial Secretary and lative Council, Sir George Shenton; and Leader of this House; first in the I may mention all those public men -Iho long line of honourable and able have always fitted themselves so well for men who have held that position. I the positions they have held. I think it shall not take up time with a theme it is a, record of which any smnall country which most of us know so well, Sir like Western Australia should be proud, George Shenton's political history; but I even at the present day. Just a month would point out that he rose steadily or two back Sir George 'Shenton occupied from step to step from private member the position of President. We have had to Minister, from Minister to Presi- the positions of Premier, Chief Justice, dent; and at all these various stages, of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and advancement he continued to hold the President of thbe Legislative Council, high respect and esteem of those who the four highest offices in the State knew him best. I should like to point with the exception of that of Gov- out that not alone was he satisfied with ernor, occupied by four native-born giighis time and his labour to the Western Australians; and that is a record Parliament of his country, but he took a to be proud of. Western Australia ought, leading position in municipal life here I say, toi be proud of her native-born for over a dozen years. Farther, though public mnen, and nmore particularly Sir I do not think we have a right to speak George Shienton. Before sitting down I publicly of a man's private life, yet on an would like to call upon Dr. Hackett, who occasion like this I should like to refer is the oldest member of this Chamber in passing to that unbounded and un- and has known Sir George Shenton for a stinted hospitality of which I believe Sir number of years, probably longer than George Sheuton has been the donor to a 28 Ez-.President.[CUCL] [COUNCIL.] Ep-Experimental e/lFn. Btrms. greater extent than almost any other fereuce of electors, and also the six years' member of either House of Parliament. efluxion of time mentioned in the Statute. This praise is not invidious: there are II feel sure that hion. members will welcome other members for whom as much can be ci~orge Shenton as a frequent visitor said. But nobody has been more truly to th is Council, and will be pleased tohbear hospitable, not only to residents of the that he has courteously accepted my State but to visitors fromr outside, than poffer to provide for him, when be does Sir George Shenton. I should like also 1 visit us, a seat on the floor of the House. to refer, if only in a breath, to his con- I have much pleasure in supporting the nection with his own church, of which he motion, has been one of the most devoted, active, Question put and passed and successful leaders whom.