Our First Half-Century: A Review of Queensland Progress Based Upon Official InformationQueensland
History
Our First Half-Century: A Review of Queensland Progress Based Upon Official Information
Queensland
Queensland -- History
In 1863 the second Parliament passed twenty-seven Acts, among them
one empowering the Government to construct a railway from Ipswich to
Toowoomba, "and such other lines as may hereafter be specified," and
providing generally for the management of railways. The Inquests on
Fires Act, the Liens on Crops Act, the Trading Companies Act,
the Queensland Bank Act, the Civil Service Act--providing liberal
allowances for retiring public officers--Police, Publicans, and
Quarantine Acts, and other measures, made this a very fertile session.
In 1864 no less than thirty Acts became law, including the Gold Export
Duty Act, imposing a duty of 1s. 6d. per ounce on the precious metal.
The Immigration Act of 1864, providing for the issue of land-order
warrants by the Agent-General, instead of land orders, and generally
restricting the traffic in these instruments, was passed. The Marriage
Laws Act, the Military Contribution Act, appropriating L3,640 towards
the cost of Her Majesty's troops in the colony, the Volunteer Corps
Act, the Small Debts Act, the Roads Closing Act, the Bank of New South
Wales Act, and the Brisbane Gas Company Act, with several others,
became law. The publication of "Hansard" was begun in this year.
Twenty-two Acts were passed in 1865, among them one for the Prevention
of the Careless Use of Fire, a Selectors Relief Act, the Industrial
and Reformatory Schools Act, and eight measures amending the Criminal
law. In 1866 twenty-six measures were passed, including the Friendly
Societies Enabling Act, the Inquests of Deaths Act, abolishing
coroners' juries and providing for magisterial inquiries at a cost
of two guineas each as a fee to the presiding justice. The Standard
Weight for Agricultural Produce Act and an Act declaring Port Albany,
Cape York, a free port also became law, as well as a number of legal
statutes.
THE THIRD PARLIAMENT: 6th August, 1867-27th August, 1868.
The third Parliament commenced its career in 1867 with a list of
forty-eight Acts. The Constitution Act of 1867 and the Legislative
Assembly Act of the same year laid the foundation of the Queensland
Legislature, while the basis of our judiciary is the Supreme Court
Act, the District Court Act, the Small Debts Act, and the Jury Act,
all passed in the same session. Other important measures which
were passed were Probate Act, Succession Act, Statute of Frauds and
Limitations, Equity Act, Trustees and Incapacitated Persons Act, and
the Polynesian Labourers Act, the latter the first of a long series
of statutes legalising and regulating Polynesian labour. Most of the
others were amendments of Acts passed in previous sessions. In August,
1868, the Parliament was prematurely dissolved.
THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT: 18th November, 1868-13th July, 1870.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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