The fourteenth Parliament opened on 8th July, 1902, twenty-seven public measures becoming law in the first session. An amending Aboriginals Protection Act, chiefly dealing with the sale of opium, was passed. The sum to be paid as duty on totalisator stakes or bets was increased to one shilling in the pound from the sixpence provided by the Act of 1892. A Railway Act amending measure was passed authorising the appointment of a Commissioner for a term of seven years, and making other changes to facilitate the working of the department. In consequence of the drought and Federal embarrassments, the Public Service Special Retrenchment Act was passed, reducing the salaries of public servants on a sliding scale; and an Income Tax Bill became law, imposing a tax of sixpence in the pound upon incomes derived from personal exertion, and one shilling in the pound when derived from property, incomes under L100 being mulcted in 10s., and when not exceeding L150 L1 a year. Provision was made for the appointment of a Government department for collecting the tax, and the last section enacted that the tax should cease on 1st January, 1905. The monumental Local Government Act of 1902 also became law in this year. The next session opened in July, and closed in December, 1903, but in mid-September progress was suspended by a change of Ministry, the Morgan-Kidston Government assuming office. Among the measures passed after the change of Ministry was an Act providing that the senior puisne Judge resident in Brisbane should be the senior puisne Judge of the Supreme Court, and discretionary power was given to the Governor in Council with regard to filling the vacancy created on the Supreme Court bench through the acceptance by Sir S. W. Griffith of the more dignified position of Chief Justice of the High Court of the Commonwealth. The Government were subjected to severe criticism for making no appointment, but the number of Judges was allowed to remain at four until the appointment of Mr. Justice Shand in November, 1908. Parliament reassembled in May following, and sat two months, when a dissolution was granted on 21st July, in consequence of the Government being left without a working majority. THE FIFTEENTH PARLIAMENT: 20th September, 1904-11th April, 1907.