Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 138
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
Executive Council
Minute books — Minutes relating to the separation of
Moreton Bay from New South Wales, 1856-57
At the Executive Council meeting of 24 November 1856, the
Governor laid on the table a despatch from the Secretary of State
which intimated that it was the intention of the British
Government to separate the Northern Districts of New South Wales
and erect them into a distinct Colony. However, the Secretary of
State wrote that before the separation could take place there were
three questions which had to be resolved
CGS 4232,
microfilm copy
SR Reels 24422443,
[4/1534-36]
• the boundary between the two future provinces,
• the future government of the separated portion, and
• the division of the debt of the province,
upon which the opinion of the Governor and the Council,
particularly on the last issue, was sought.
On 15 December the Council in considering the question of the
division of the debt of the Colony, and the proper proportion which
should be chargeable upon the revenue of the Moreton Bay
District, decided that further returns were required, including ones
showing population in each year since 1846; total ordinary
revenue collected; total expenditure chargeable on the ordinary
revenue; and total territorial revenue collected.
One month later, on 15 January 1857, the Council resumed
consideration of the question of the share of the public debt of the
Colony which ought to be borne by the Northern Districts when
separated from New South Wales.
The Governor laid before the Council two memoranda expressive
of his own views upon the subject, both of which had been
circulated amongst the Members, together with a number of
returns. The Council opined that the justice of the case demanded
that the debt, divisible under five heads (Sydney Municipal Works,
Public Works, Railways, Immigration and Deficiency, ie loan)
should be treated separately. They further opined that to meet the
justice of the case, there should be on the occurrence of
separation an adjustment of accounts between the two Colonies
and a financial balance struck between them, irrespective of the
debt. The Council went on to provide its advice on how the debt
should be handled upon separation.
Towards the end of the year, on 2 November 1857, the Council
directed its attention to the matter of the boundaries between the
two Colonies.
136
State Records Authority of New South Wales
