Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 110
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
In September 1876 an anonymous accusation was made against
Dr Ramsay of selling the rights to hold booths and receiving
consideration from Poll Clerks and Presiding Officers. This was
soon followed by John Archibald Courtis of Gulgong making
charges against Dr Ramsay, including that of "systematically
defrauding the Government of New South Wales by virtue of his
Office as Returning Officer".
Included are the accusations and replies of Dr Ramsay as well as
supporting documentation, for example, 66 Presiding Officers, Poll
Clerks and booth holders acknowledging receipt in full for services
rendered and declaring that Courtis' statements was "deliberately
and maliciously false", and the butts of cheques drawn by Ramsay
for payment of Election accounts in February 1875 and December
1876.
On 28 December 1876, in two minute papers, it was
recommended to the Executive Council that Dr Ramsay be
suspended from his functions and called upon to show cause why
he should not be removed from the offices of Returning Officer for
the Electoral District of Mudgee and Government Medical Officer
and Vaccinator for the District of Gulgong. Letters from Ramsay in
1877 tried to show sufficient cause to avoid these suspensions.
Following these and Dr Ramsay's letter of resignation, in February
1877, the Executive Council considered Ramsay's explanation of
the charges preferred against him by Courtis and expressed their
opinion that Ramsay had failed to disprove the charges or to
justify his conduct regarding them and therefore advised that, in
the public interest, he be removed from the offices he was then
holding.
Papers relating to the appointment of Dr Ramsay as Government
Medical Officer in 1875 following the resignation of William
Ewington are also included.
Electoral papers, 1882-83
The Colonial Secretary's Office sent circular letters on 21 June and
3 August 1882 asking to be supplied with the number of electors
for 1882-83, and on 19 July 1883 for the same returns for 188384.
CGS 906,
[4/845.2]
The majority of the papers are replies from Returning Officers to
these circulars reporting the number of electors on the roll. For
those Electoral Districts where the electoral list was with the
Government Printer, the Printer reported the number of electors.
Also included are: copies of the manuscript and printed return
showing the number of electors on the roll of each Electoral
District for New South Wales for 1882-83; and a similar
manuscript return for 1883-84.
Polling places in the various electorates, 1882-83
CGS 906,
[4/844.2]
This bundle comprises papers relating the appointment of
additional, new, polling places and the cancellation of existing
ones. Mainly letters from the various Returning Officers naming
the polling places for the Electoral District but also letters from
Members of the Legislative Assembly on behalf of electors for
additional new polling places and letters or petitions from electors
in support of new polling places.
108
State Records Authority of New South Wales
