of a Lower and an Upper House, the first to comprise twenty-five members elected by the people by ballot, and the second to be wholly nominated by the Governor-in-Council. The Lower House alone was to originate bills for appropriating any part of the revenue, or imposing, altering, or repealing rates and taxes. It was to be elected for five years, and any member accepting an office of profit from the Government would forfeit his seat; public contractors, judges, and ministers of religion were disqualified for either House. The bill provided compensation for those officers liable to loss of position:—By retiring allowance—Colonial Secretary, £800; Attorney-General, £333; Commissioner of Crown Lands, £400; Colonial Treasurer, £366; or by way of bonus—Colonial Secretary, £5,000 (seven years' salary); Attorney-General, £2,500 (five years'); Commissioner of Crown Lands, £3,000 (five years'); Colonial Treasurer, £2,750 (five years'). The Crown lands were, of course, to be surrendered to the Parliaments, but a civil list of £9,729 annually was to be attached thereto.
It was not an acceptable scheme; the constitution of the Upper House with nominee members alone was objectionable, particularly at that time. Mr. Lee-Steere was not favourably impressed, and asked the House to postpone consideration of the measure until the country had an opportunity of forming a calm, deliberate, and dispassionate opinion thereon. His motion was lost by twelve votes to five, but Mr. Lee-Steere's advice was taken. Next day (11th August) Governor Weld dissolved the Council "to give the country an opportunity of expressing its deliberate opinion." This course met with the hearty approval of colonists, and preparations were set in motion for a new election—the third within four years. Public meetings were held all over the colony, and the question of Responsible Government was canvassed with avidity. The first election was to be held at Albany on 23rd September, but Sir T. C. Campbell, Bart., who had just previously sat as a nominee member, was unopposed. In all the other districts the position of parties was comparatively unchanged, and the colony undoubtedly polled for Responsible Government. The Governor nominated three new members of the Council—S. Burr, G. Glyde, and C. E. Broadhurst.
The new Council met on 18th November of the same year, but merely to make provision for carrying on the public service. Governor Weld explained in his address that he would postpone the measure providing for Responsible Government because of the expected arrival of his successor, who, he said, no doubt had a knowledge, derived from recent personal communication, of the views of Her Majesty's Government thereon. This course was applauded by members; the Appropriation Bill and Estimates were carried, and the House adjourned on 21st November. This was the last appearance of Governor Weld in the Legislative Council, and in December he left Perth for Tasmania. It would not be true to say that he was generally a popular governor. His opposition to a protective tariff in any form had aroused the animosity of several country electorates; but, nevertheless, his administration was productive of great benefit to the colony, and his general views were in subsequent years often proved to be correct. It can be truly said that no more sympathetic and conciliatory governor had held the reins of Government since Stirling, and the assistance which he gave to the progressive movements for changes of Government was not appreciated so much as it should have been. In after years colonists began to recognise his good qualities, when similar requests were treated with much less consideration. Governor Weld was determined as well as conciliatory, and he was far-seeing. Demonstrations were held prior to his departure.
On 11th January, 1875, Governor W. C. F. Robinson arrived at Fremantle by the Georgette from Albany. His advent gave quite an unexpected turn to the agitation for Responsible Government. On 22nd January he opened the Council, and submitted a despatch from Lord Carnarvon, the new Secretary for the Colonies, on the subject. This suggested that the ex-Governor, in his desire to meet the wishes of colonists, had done more than the Home Government considered to be politic. As seen in previous years, Governor Weld had informed the Secretary for the Colonies that Western Australia was not ready for Responsible Government. The receipt, therefore, of the 1874 resolution of the Legislative Council startled Lord Carnarvon, and he mildly rebuked Governor Weld. He wrote under date of 18th November, 1874, a despatch that was at once conciliatory and uncompromising, and discouraged any attempt to obtain Responsible Government. After referring to Governor Weld's earlier despatch, he says:—" It is with some surprise and regret that I now learn that without any previous intimation that such a measure was contemplated, or any reference to the opinions of Her Majesty's Government, the Governor has publicly pledged himself that this most serious change shall be immediately made, and that a bill dealing with many questions of difficulty, in respect of which much care must in any case be required, has been considered by the Council. We are dealing with a colony of vast extent, at present inhabited by a population estimated at 26,000 persons, of whom it is stated that some 8,000 are adult males, and of these, as I understand, between 5,000 or 6,000 are persons formerly transported as convicts from this country." Continuing, he refers to the limited areas of productive lands in the colony which could not continuously keep a population equal to those of eastern colonies. He gravely doubts the prudence of at present resorting to a system of party government. Many important questions must be clearly understood, for under Responsible Government the colony must provide for an expenditure greatly in excess of the existing amount. Provision would have to be made for the future custody and supervision of the Imperial convicts serving their sentences in the colony, besides other forms of administrative expenditure. He had already informed Governor Weld that if the decided opinion of a clear majority of colonists proved favourable to the change (the expediency of which he doubted), he would give it careful consideration, and reserve his decision until he received more information. In conclusion, he writes:—"But on a calm review of its present circumstances and conditions, I cannot but question whether this great alteration is not somewhat premature, and I feel it my duty, though not a grateful one to me personally, to withhold any hasty consent, and to interpose such prudent delays as will secure a full and dispassionate consideration of a decision which is fraught with such important consequences to the colony."
Although they already had some difficulty in meeting the expenditure annually incurred, even with the sum of nearly £100,000 a year derived from the Imperial Government for the Convict Establishment, a portion of the people believed that a convenient arrangement could be made with the Home authorities, by which they could manage the increased expenses entailed by autonomy. And they also thought that under self-government the colony would so rapidly progress that they would speedily be
