Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 93
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
The timing of the elections having been determined, the Legislative Council established
under the Australian Colonies Government Act of 1850 was dissolved by proclamation on
29 February 1856. On 1 March 1856 a proclamation was published summoning and
calling together a Legislative Assembly, and enjoining and requiring all persons duly
qualified to proceed to the election of members to serve in the said Assembly, in
pursuance of the Act of Parliament 18 & 19 Vic c.54. The elections were held between
11 March and 19 April 1856.
The first Ministry was officially formed on 6 June 1856 under Stuart Alexander
Donaldson, who took the portfolio of Colonial Secretary. As with later Ministers heading
the Government during the nineteenth century, Donaldson was also referred to as the
Prime Minister or the Premier.
The men who had stood together unitedly in the abolition of transportation, and in
opposition to the unpopular provisions of Mr. Wentworth's Constitution, found
themselves divided into opposing sides in the new Parliament. A nebulous kind of
weak Conservatism seized the minds of some who thought others were inclined to go
too far, and the first Ministry was formed with a visible endeavour to represent this
nondescript feeling. The effect was to throw into closer union the members who joined
in a common dissent from the steps taken by the gentleman who formed the
Government. Party organisations of definite character could hardly be said to exist,
and men joined the Liberal Party, as the Opposition called themselves, who had their
own rather than the country's purposes to serve.11
The Donaldson Ministry only lasted until 25 August 1856. "Ministries were appointed and
defeated in quick succession, and no one could count on steady support in the
Assemblies.i12 During this first Parliament, which itself only lasted 19 months, there
were four separate Ministries headed by Donaldson, Charles Cowper, Henry Watson
Parker, and then Cowper again.
Section 4 of the enabling Act, the Constitution Statute, introduced a provision which
gave the Legislature full power to repeal and alter the provisions of the reserved Bill.
During the first session the Parliament took advantage of this power and repealed the
clauses requiring the two-thirds majority of both House, thereby opening to way to
alterations in the electoral system and in the constitution of the Legislative Council.
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 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 Legislative
Assembly was passed in January 1857, transmitted to England on 31 January 1857 for
the Royal Assent (which was duly received), and took effect on 19 October 1857.
Colonial Secretary
Main series of letters received
CSG 905
CSIL 56/2138
CGS 905,
CSIL 56/2138
in [4/3314]
CSIL 56/3128 comprises papers relating to the issue of writs for
the new Parliament and the dissolution of the Legislative Council.
Included is a letter from the Law Officers advising on the
sufficiency of an enclosed form of Proclamation for dissolving the
Legislative Council; a signed printed Proclamation dated
11 Parkes, Henry, Fifty years in the making of Australian History, (Turner and Henderson, Sydney,
1892), Vol.1 pp.114-15
12
Wood, op cit, p.193
State Records Authority of New South Wales
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