Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 83
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
of the Colony of New South Wales, after separation of the District
of Port Philip therefrom, into Electoral Districts, and for the
election of Members to serve in the Legislative Assembly, assented
to on 2 May 1851 (otherwise known as The Electoral Act of 1851);
18 & 19 Vic c.54 An Act to enable Her Majesty to assent to a Bill,
as amended, of the Legislature of New South Wales, 'to confer a
Constitution on New South Wales, and to grant a Civil List to Her
Majesty, assented to on 16 July 1855; 22 Vic No.20 An Act to
amend the Electoral Law, assented to 24 November 1858
(otherwise known as The Electoral Act of 1858).
Also included are papers, ordered to be printed by the Legislative
Council on 31 October 1855, relating to the Royal Assent to the
new Constitution Act of 1853; copy of the Government Gazette of
20 October 1857 concerning 20 Vic. No.10, An Act to repeal so
much of the Constitution Act as requires the concurrence of
unusual majorities of Members in the Legislative Council and the
Legislative Assembly respectively, in the passing of Bills to alter
the Constitution conferred by the said Act, or the number and
apportionment of Representatives in the said Assembly: the
Proclamation, Order in Council giving the Royal Assent, and a copy
of the Act are included; papers, ordered to be printed by the
Legislative Council on 1 November 1855, concerning repeal of the
Waste Lands Acts; papers, ordered to be printed by the Legislative
Council on 19 December 1855, concerning the Governor General's
Commission and Instructions (issued to the Governor Sir William
Denison) under the new Constitution; papers, ordered to be
printed by the Legislative Assembly on 20 October 1857,
concerning the administration of the Government of New South
Wales in case of the death or absence from the Colony of the
Governor General; and printed papers, presented to both Houses
of Parliament, concerning administration of the Government of
New South Wales, dated May 1859.
Main series of letters received
CGS 905
CSIL 60/1795
CGS 905,
CSIL 60/1795
in [4/3422]
CSIL 60/1795 in [4/3422] comprises letters from Members of the
Legislative Council resigning their seats. It includes letters of
resignation — John Campbell, William Dumaresq, Robert
Lethbridge, Alexander Busby, J. N. Dickinson, Alfred Stephen, etc
— dating from 1856 to 1860. (The three Members resigning their
seats in 1856 were John Campbell, William Dumaresq and William
Colburn Mayne.)
Among the various papers are those relating to William Dumaresq
who resigned his seat on 19 May in the Legislative Council, just six
days after being summoned and before he even took his seat.
Included is the writ of summons, which was returned by the Clerk
of the Legislative Council to the Colonial Secretary. An opinion was
sought from the Law Officers, the Attorney General and the
Solicitor General, on the proper course to be pursued when a
member of the Legislative Council resigned his seat. In their letter
of 15 September 1856 they gave as their opinion:
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State Records Authority of New South Wales
