[Illustration: ROCKHAMPTON 1. Quay Street, from the North Side. 2. Custom House, Quay Street. 3. East Street.] Mr. Philp, being sent for by His Excellency, formed a Ministry, which was at once met in the Assembly by successive votes of want of confidence, the members of the Labour party uniting with the late Ministerialists in the divisions. A dissolution was granted, even though the House refused to vote Supply to the Government, and early in the new year (1908) a general election took place, Mr. Philp losing four seats, the Labour party gaining that number, while the Kidston party were again returned with the same following. The effect was that the Philp and Kidston parties each numbered 25 and the Labour members 22. As the two latter parties had in most cases assisted one another at the elections, the Philp Government resigned, and Mr. Kidston being recalled found his position practically unchanged, so far as relative numbers were concerned, and yet greatly strengthened as regards the constitutional reform he desired to effect. A short session was at once held. A reform of the Constitution limiting the vetoing power of the Legislative Council by providing for a referendum on any measure which the Council rejected twice, and also a number of democratic measures rejected by the Council in the two preceding sessions, were passed with the aid of the Labour party. When, however, the Government turned to legislation affecting the material progress of the State, and introduced two bills to authorise the construction of railways to mineral fields (to Mount Elliott in the Cloncurry copper area and to Lawn Hills in the Gulf district) on agreements made with two private companies who undertook to provide in one case one-half and in the other case three-fourths of the capital required, despite the fact that the railways were to be constructed, worked, and managed by the Railway Commissioner, that the companies were to receive no interest on the money they advanced until the railways earned it, and that when at the end of fifteen years the Government repaid the advance the companies were only to receive a sum equal to what their investment was then earning capitalised at 31/2 per cent., the bills were obstructed by the Labour party, and were only passed with the assistance of the Philp party, under the closure, the Estimates being forced through by the same means at the close of the session. Before leaving on a mission to England, Mr. Kidston publicly intimated that he could no longer work with the Labour party. He returned in October, and the Philp party, recognising the mischievous futility of three-party government, agreed to accept the programme enunciated by Mr. Kidston at the election in 1907, and to join the Ministerial party, the Premier being granted a free hand, both by his colleagues and followers, in reconstructing the Government.