Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly TUESDAY, 19 AUGUST 1879 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Batkurst Burr, Etc. [19 AtrGUS'l'.] Questions-; 1293 LEGISI.ATIVE· ASSEMBLY. Tuesday, 19 August, 1879. Xew }1ember.-Questions.-Ufe Insurance Bill-third reading.-Sa-Confidence :lfotion-resumption of debate. The SPEAKER took the chair at half-past 3 o'clock. NEW MEMBER. Mr. John Malbon Thompson took the prescribed oath, signed the roll, and took his seat as member for Ipswich. QUESTIONS. Mr. MILBS asked the Minister for ·works- Has the Government come to any settlement with Mr. Ballard as to the amount of reward he is entitled to on the saving in construction or the Railwav from vVestwood to the Comet ?-If not, why not? The MINISTER FOR \VonKs (Mr. Mac­ rossan) replied- 1. No. 2. Because the Government are wait.ing for certain information which Mr. Ballard has been requested to supply. Mr. MILES asked the Minister for Works- What amount, if any, is available from votes passed by this House for the purpose of Rail­ way Surveys ? The MINISTER FOR \VORKS replied­ There is at present the sum of £5,246 4s. 3d. to credit of Loan Vote for Railway Surveys, which sum, it is anticipated, will be absorbed iu 90ID)Jletmg the Burve;vij llltead;r llllthorise!l, 1294 No-Oonjiilence Motion. [ASSEMBLY.] No-Confidence Mot,ion. LIFE INSURANCE BILL-THIRD to know that the Government had a defi­ READING. nite object-namely, to open up the western On the motion o£ Mr. RurLEDGE, this country, advancing the pastoral interests, Bill was read a third time, passed, and and, at the same time, by means o£ short ordered to be transmitted to the Legislative branch lines, developing the agricultural Council .for their concurrence by message interests. This might not be a policy in the usual form. that would suit the Opposition, but it would certainly satisfy the British capitalists to NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION -RESUMP­ whom the colony could alone look to ad­ vance the money required. With respect TION OF DEBATE. to the interest, as the Colonial Treasurer Mr. AMHURST said that, in discussing pointed out, the money was not to be bor­ the motion proposed by the hon. gentlt>man rowed at once, nor in one large sum, (Mr. Griffith), it would materi~lly assist and it was to extend over a series of hon. m<>mbers i£ they consiclered what years. It was not likely, he might kind o£ a vote it was. Was it a vote of say, in connection with this part of his no confidence with regard to the loan subject, that we were always going policy of the Government ?-or was it a to remain in a state o£ depression. vote of no confidence on their general Queensland was sharing in the crisis policy? It. might possibly h:we been through which the whole of the world moved by the hon. the leader o£ the Oppo­ had passed; it had affected, not Aus­ sition £or some other reason. It was not tralia alone, but America. He passed necessary just now to describe what that through America two years ago. and reason was; but it might have been £or his a gentleman who was thoroughly ac­ own convenience to enable him to find out quainted with it said he had never what was the intention o£ his own fol­ seen America so depressed, and that lowers. The speeches delivered by mem­ some of the railways were not pay­ bers on the Opposition side of the Home ing their working expenses, while only showed that they were not at all united three-tenths of them were paying a fair amongst themselves. The speech of the dividend. Two months ago the same gen­ hon. gentleman (Mr. Griffith) was a very tleman told him that the alteration for the half-hearted affair; and it was to be better was something wonderful; and any­ noticed from the first that the hon. gentle­ one reading the papers which came out by man did not enter into it in the spirit the last mail would see that a change in which he generally exhibited on important the direction of a revival was already be­ matters o£ that kind. It looked very like ginning in England ; - that shares and as if the hon. gentleman throughout was stock generally were rising, and that people simply trying to make the best o£ a bad were getting tired Gf merely having gold case. What were his charges against the in the Bank o£ England, bearing no interest. Government P The most important charge There was, therefore, every reason to sup­ he brought against them was that the pose that a time of prosperity would shortly Colonial Treasurer had not stated how the be experienced by the Australian colonies. interest was to be provided, nor had laid The change might be a few months dis­ plans and specifications of his proposed tant, but it ought not to be longer. railways on the table. Another charge He was inclined to believe that a hopeful was that he was entering into too large a view would be the most sensible just now. loan. The second charge was fully an­ It was but natural that a colony the size o:f swered by the Premier, who explained Queensland would suffer when others suf­ that his loan took the shape it did fered; and, in a corresponding degree, when in order to show the British public, who a flow of wealth was enjoyed by other lent the money, what the colony would nations, there would be quite sufficient to require during the next three or five years ; put the colony in a state of prosperity. anJ in taking that course the hon. gentle­ The Opposition seemed to be dead against man at the head of the Government proved the Divisional Boards Bill, which was one that his was not a short-sighted policy, o£ the best Bills ever brought into the but one that saw far ahead and was calcu­ House, and the keystone of the whole Gov­ lated to give confidence to the money ernment policy. It would prevent wasteful lenders in England, who upon becoming expenditure on public works, and when acquainted with it would be at once led the principle of potmcl £or pound was to say, "This is not a make-shift policy established there would be eqrial justice like that o£ the late Government, but £or every portion o£ the colony. I£ the policy of a statesman." As to the any public work was to be done, it was plans and specifications, it was, of course, only fair that people who got a direct perfectly impossible to tell where lines benefit from it should pay a fair propor­ that were to be built during the next tion of the outlay, and such a system was three years would exactly go, or where the the best guarantee that could be devised deviations would be, although the general against wasteful expenditure. The speech directi,on waR weH known. lt was enough o£ the hon. gentleman (Mr. Douglas) No-Confidence Motion. [19 Auausr.] No-Conjirlence Motion. 1295 showed most conclusively of all that there with a proper scheme-produce sheep, and was a split in the opposite camp. The be able to export large quantities of wool, hon. gentleman said he was a free lance-a which was one of the greatest sources of free agent-and that he wanted a coalition our wealth. The Government proposed, ministry. The fact was the hon. gentleman also, to encourage settlement by creating new wanted ~t new toy. The last Government, agricultural districts. Any railway shorter of which he was a member, was once truly than fifteen miles, however, would not pay, described by the hon. member for Mitchell because it would pay better for farmers as kalt>idoscopic. During the five years the to bring their own produce that distance. party represented by that Government After that it would begin to pa_y, and a line were in power they had three Premiers, fifty or sixty miles long would not only five Ministers for Lands, two Colonial enable people on the direct route to bring Treasurers, three Attorneys-General, five their produce direct to market, but also Jl,finisters for \Vorks, two Postmasters­ those living fifteen miles on eaeh side of it, General, and three Colonial Secretaries ; if not further. One of the most expensive and, if the hon. gentleman obtained his things in agricultural pursuits was the wish and had a cmtlition Ministr_y it would bringing of produce to market and hand­ be one of the same kind. The hon. gentle­ ling it. ·with a railway the produce would man evidently was fond of change, for only have to be handled once before it got he himself took se>eral positions-first of to the place of shipment, instead of a num­ all sitting on the cross-benches, then ber of times as at present. The Govern­ becoming MinistPr for Lands, then Pre­ ment thoroughly understood the railway mier and Colonial Secretary. At one question, and the country might repose time the hon. gentleman voted against with confidence upon their judgment. his party, and in his speech the other day Then came the vote for harbours and he seemed at first to be a friend of the rivers. This, though not directl_y remuner­ present Go>ernment, but by-and-bye he ative, was a most important thing for the did not know what he was; and he (Mr. wdfare of the country.