amounted to £2,250,475. The surplus from 1876, £1,679,608 17s. 7d., was carried forward to the credit of 1877, and the revenue for 1877 was estimated at £4,908,410. The total estimated expenditure, deducting £60,000 for the Treasurer's advance account, was £4,181,952, which, taken from the credit side, left an estimated surplus at the end of 1877 of £2,406,606 11s. 11d. The amount for land sales (which it was exceedingly difficult to estimate) was put down at £2,080,000. Analyzing this sum in the manner before referred to, and deducting therefrom the "normal" amount upon the population basis, it would be found that the excess was legitimately invested. In the matter of taxation, it was necessary to inform the Committee that there were causes at work which were undermining the revenue from those articles which, heretofore, had been looked upon as a fair support of part of the revenue of the country. Upon tobacco the amount received was only the same now as in 1872, the reason of which was obvious-the colonial growth was taking the place of the other. The following proposal, therefore, was necessary -viz., that there should be a duty of 9d. per pound on all foreign leaf cleared from bond, and 6d. per pound on the manufactured weight of all manufactured tobacco leaving the factories, and also (to preserve the present differential rate between manufactured and unmanufactured) an additional duty of 3d. per pound on all manufactured tobacco imported. It was proposed to remit duty amounting to about £20,000 on a list comprising about fifteen or sixteen articles, very similar to the one submitted by the acting Colonial Treasurer last year, the chief of which was salt. The public debt of the Colony now amounted to £11,759,000, and a scheme for its consolidation would be considered at the earliest opportunity. A Conference was held in Sydney in January, 1877, on the subject of the duplication of the Telegraph Cable between Australasia and Europe. The whole of the Australasian Colonies were represented: New South Wales by the Hons. John Robertson, Colonial Secretary; Alexander Stuart, Colonial Treasurer; and J. F. Burns, Postmaster-General; New Zealand by the Hon. G. McLean, Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs and Customs; Queensland by the Hons. S. W. Griffith, Q.C., Attorney-General and Secretary for Public Instruction; and C. S. Mein, Postmaster-General; South Australia by Sir Henry Ayers, K.C.M.G., Chief Secretary; and the Hon. Ebenezer Ward, Minister of Agriculture and Education; Tasmania by the Hon. James Whyte, Member of the Executive Council; Victoria by the Hons. R. S. Anderson, Commissioner of Customs; and R. Ramsay, Minister of Public Instruction and Postmaster-General; and Western Australia by the Hon. Malcolm Fraser. The Hon. John Robertson was, at the first meeting of the Conference (25th January) unanimously elected Chairman. It was unanimously agreed that the representatives of each Colony should recommend to the several Governments and Parliaments they represented the adoption of measures to carry out the resolutions of the Conference to which they might have assented. The Conference then proceeded to discuss the whole question of duplication of the Cable, and the various routes proposed; when, after mature deliberation, the following resolutions were adopted : "(1.) That it is desirable to extend and improve the means of Telegraphic Communication between Australia and Europe, by the duplication, where necessary, of the Cables or Lines connecting the same. (2.) That any subsidy on Ocean Cables to connect Australia with Europe shall be borne by the several Australian Colonies assenting thereto, in proportion to population. "(3.) That the loss (if any) on competing Colonial Lines, to connect the Cables with the main telegraphic system of each Colony, should in like manner be borne by all the Colonies concerned." Tasmania voted against this resolution,-New Zealand, Victoria, and Western Australia did not vote. "(4.) That inasmuch as it has been decided that it is desirable to extend and improve the means of telegraphic communication between Australia and Europe, by the duplication, where necessary, of the Cables or lines connecting the same, and that the subsidy on Ocean Cables to connect Australia with Europe be borne by the several Colonies assenting thereto in proportion to population, "(1.) The several Governments of South Australia, Queensland, and "(5.) That having in view the serious annoyance and loss occasioned by the mutilation of messages in transmission through Java, the President of this Conference be requested, on behalf of the Australasian Colonies represented, to communicate with the Secretary of State, for the purpose of obtaining permission from the Government of Netherlands-India to employ English operators on the land lines in Java. "(6.) That the Governments of South Australia and New South Wales be empowered to make arrangements with the Eastern Extension, Telegraph Company for a reduction of message tariff to six shillings per word, at a subsidy not exceeding £20,000 per annum, terminable at one year's notice; and that such subsidy be borne by the respective Colonies in proportion to population any Colony to be at liberty to withdraw on like notice." The Colonies of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia refrained from voting on this resolution. "(7.) That the several Colonies agree to allow the necessary official telegrams of H.M. Ships to pass over their respective lines free of charge. "(8.) That the Governments of Queensland and South Australia be requested to circulate among the respective Governments the draft Bills referred to in the Resolutions of the Intercolonial Conference held in Sydney, passed on the 10th February, 1873, for removing the defects in the law relating to the extradition of criminals, and the absconding of debtors, with a view to the same being submitted to the respective Legislatures as early as practicable. “(9.) That, in the opinion of the Conference, it is desirable that a uniform telegraphic code should be adopted by the several Australasian Colonies." On 1st February, 1877, Mr. Piddington moved a vote of want of confidence in the Ministry in the following terms : "That an Address be presented to the Governor, respectfully informing His Excellency that, in the opinion of this House, the continued administration of affairs, as at present conducted, is calculated to inflict serious injury upon the Country." The motion, after a long debate, was negatived by a majority of 29 to 26. On 6th February Mr. Robertson informed the House that Mr. Ezekiel Alexander Baker had accepted the office of Secretary for Lands, and moved that his seat be declared vacant. On 23rd, having been re-elected, Mr. Baker took his seat. The second reading of a Public Schools Act Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr. Buchanan, was negatived on 9th February by 37 to 6. On Tuesday, 13th February, a resolution by Mr. McElhone in reference to the action of the present and late Colonial Treasurers in allowing a Government contractor to be paid a higher price for supplies than the price they contracted to supply at. The motion, which was of a condemnatory nature, having been verbally amended, was carried by a majority of 19 to 16. On Wednesday, 21st February, the Order of the Day for the resumption of the Committee of Supply was interrupted by an amendment by Mr. Piddington, who moved : "That it is the opinion of this House that not more than one month's expenditure out of the Consolidated Revenue of the Colony ought to be granted in Committee of Supply, namely, for the month of February, 1877.” This amendment was carried by 31 to 21. On 22nd February, Mr. Robertson made a Ministerial Statement, in which he stated that in view of recent proceedings in the House, the Government had been considering whether it was desirable to go on with the Public business. As an Electoral Bill, however, was urgently required, it seemed to be the duty of the Government to pass such a Bill and then obtain the necessary Supplies. While these measures were before the Legislative Council it might be found possible to proceed with some other measures which had been partially dealt with. On Tuesday, 27th February, Mr. Stephen Brown moved for an Address to the Governor, praying that all minutes, recommendations, letters, documents, and papers connected with the remission of the sentence of Lawrence Cummins (a bushranger)—which had not been included in the papers relating to that matter laid upon the table by the Honorable the Colonial Secretary-might be placed before the House. The motion, after debate, was carried by 37 to 13; the Government voting with the minority. The same night a motion by Mr. Jacob was carried by a majority of 25 to 13, censuring the Government in regard to the contemplated publication by them in the newspapers of copies of the electoral maps. Relative to these defeats, on the 6th March Mr. Parkes moved a resolution in these terms: "That the retention of office by Ministers after having suffered, within nine sitting days, four several defeats on motions expressive of condemnation and want of confidence, is subversive of the principles of the Constitution.” At midnight the vote of censure was carried by 31 to 28. When the House next met, on the 9th March, Mr. Robertson stated that the Government, after consultation, had advised His Excellency to dissolve the Parliament. His Excellency had at once complied with the advice thus tendered, in a minute stating that he (Sir Hercules Robinson) assumed that Mr. Robertson advised a dissolution under the full belief that he would be able to obtain the necessary Supplies for carrying on the Public Service during the period pending an appeal to the country-a point about which in England there would not be the slightest doubt. If, however, it should turn out that party spirit ran so high that he (Mr. Robertson) should have overrated his ability in this particular, it must of course be understood that His Excellency should be at liberty, in view of the grave crisis that would then arise, to reconsider his present decision. On Tuesday, 13th, Mr. Robertson intimated that the Government intended to ask the House on the following day for Supply for two months. But this they were refused; for, on the Colonial Treasurer next day moving the House into Committee of Supply, Mr. Piddington moved, "That, whilst this House is anxious to proceed with the public business on the formation of an Administration entitled to the confidence of Parliament, it declines to grant Supplies to a defeated Government under circumstances which would in all probability result in two general elections within a short period of time.” This amendment was carried by 33 to 27. On 15th March Mr. Robertson read to the House a note which he had received from His Excellency the Governor, acquainting him that His Excellency, in view of the crisis which had arisen, had reconsidered the position in all its bearings, and had arrived at the decision that he would not be justified in accepting the advice, verbally tendered to him on Thursday last, to dissolve. On receiving this note he (Mr. Robertson) had submitted the resignations of himself and colleagues, and they, therefore, now held office at the desire of His Excellency until their successors were appointed. When the House again met, on the 20th, Mr. Robertson read certain communications which had passed between His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Parkes, and himself, in reference to obtaining Supply for the month of March. He had remained at Government House up to within a quarter of an hour of the meeting of the Assembly in the hope of hearing that a Ministry had been formed. He had learned from His Excellency that he had requested Mr. Parkes to form a Ministry, and that that gentleman had intimated that he would be prepared to assume office as soon as Supply for the month of March had been obtained. He (Mr. Robertson) had understood from His Excellency that no list of new Ministers had been submitted for his approval. |
