Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 62
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
Declaration and Remonstrance against the new Act was adopted by the Council just
before its dissolution. This was forwarded to the Secretary of State by Governor's
Despatch No.105 of 18 June 1851.
In December 1851 the Legislative Council established under 13 & 14 Vic c.59 forwarded
to the Governor for transmission to the Secretary of State a petition to the Queen
affirming the grievances expressed in the last Council's Declaration and Remonstrance.
The Council also declared its willingness to assume and provide for the whole cost of the
"Internal Government" on the "surrender to the Colonial Legislature of the entire
management of all our Revenues, ... and upon the establishment of a Constitution
among us similar in its outline to that of Canada". This petition was forwarded by
Governor's Despatch No.7 of 15 January 1852.
Earl Grey's reply of 23 January 1852 to the May 1851 Declaration and Remonstrance,
received in mid 1852, was considered to be unsatisfactory and the Legislative Council set
up a Select Committee to prepare an answer to his despatch on 3 August 1852. The
Committee's recommended reply declaring that the remonstrance was truly
representative of popular opinion and reiterating the request for full self-government,
was adopted by the Legislative Council and was transmitted by the Governor to the
Secretary of State in Despatch No.130 of 20 August 1852.
Earl Grey's successor, Sir John Pakington, was more sympathetic and, in his Despatch of
15 December 1852 (No.95) — in which he addressed the matters raised in the
Legislative Council's petition of December 1851 in some detail — he advised the Council
to draft a constitution: "Ample powers for the purpose of effecting this alteration appear
to be entrusted to the existing Legislature by the Constitutional Act of 1850, subject to
the confirmation by the Crown of any Act passed for the purpose".
Colonial Secretary, later Chief Secretary
Main series of letters received
CGS 905
1851 Legislative Council
CGS 905,
[4/3025],
Box [4/3025] contains two Addresses from the Legislative Council
of relevance —
LC 237 is an Address to the Governor from the Council established
by 5 & 6 Vic c.76, just before its dissolution, asking him to forward
to the Secretary of State a Declaration and Remonstrance against
the new Constitution Act 13 & 14 Vic c.59, adopted by the Council
on 1 May 1851. Included is a printed copy of the Report from the
Select Committee on the New Constitution, 29 April 1851. This
Committee was appointed on 8 April to prepare a Remonstrance
against 13 & 14 Vic c.59, and its recommended Declaration and
Remonstrance was adopted.
LC 237
The Declaration and Remonstrance was forwarded to the Secretary
of State by Despatch No.105 of 18 June 1851.
LC 51/45 is an Address to the Governor from the Council
established under 13 & 14 Vic c.59 dated 5 December 1851. It
includes both manuscript and printed copies of a petition to the
Queen which affirms the grievances "all of which, with a slight
modification in the patronage of the Customs Department, by no
means commensurate with the rights in the said protest and
declaration insisted upon, remain unredressed". In the petition the
Council declared that
State Records Authority of New South Wales
LC 51/45
61
