centres; and they sought to ameliorate the condition of all classes. Their term of office has extended over the most important period in the history of the colony, and the rapid transitions have demanded an unusual amount of administrative courage in so small a community. The policy of Sir John Forrest in the first responsible Parliament, in 1891, has been consistently followed to the present, and though many changes have taken place in his Cabinet, he still holds his high office, and retains to a remarkable degree the confidence of the people of Western Australia. Even his strongest opponents, after considering his services to the colony and several felicific measures he has sponsored, agree that he merits this public regard. Several circumstances have arisen which have caused momentary irritation, but after great exertion and the expenditure of capital they have been swept away.
In the speeches delivered before Parliament by Ministers and by private members in 1893, congratulatory references were made to the increasing prosperity of the colony due to the goldfields. The crisis in the banking institutions in the Eastern colonies did not seriously affect Western Australia, and in the end, perhaps, assisted her. Two of the banks which closed their doors had branches in this colony, but their business was successfully rearranged, and they resumed active operations. For a time these financial crises caused inconvenience and injuriously affected trade; but nothing could then stay the flood of prosperity which was rolling over Western Australia. Indeed, this colony gained by the depression in other parts of the continent. On the other hand, it must be said that local developments came at an opportune moment, and Western Australian prosperity was reflected to some extent over nearly the whole of Australia.
The action of the Legislative Council in 1892 in refusing to accept the Constitution Act Amendment Bill brought upon it not a little abuse from all sections of the community. The antipathy to the constitution of that Chamber became very marked. A nominated Upper House, composed with only one or two exceptions of the landed and high conservative type of politicians, was bound sooner or later to come into collision with the sentiments and views of a self-governing community that was being affected by a phenomenal progress in industry. Progress demanded changes; a nominated and highly conservative Council could not always bring itself to sanction those changes. Progress then demanded an amendment of the constitution, and anathematised an Upper House whose members had to possess a substantial property qualification. In December, 1892, the population of Western Australia numbered 58,674; but before December, 1898, it had reached 65,064—beyond the limit necessary to enable the people to elect their representatives to the Legislative Council. The Government in 1893 reintroduced their Constitution Amendment Bill, and on 17th July Sir John Forrest moved the second reading. The Legislative Assembly passed the measure with some expedition, and for the second time submitted it to the mercy of the Legislative Council. Members of that Chamber made some important amendments to the bill, especially in regard to the proportional representation in the Upper House under the elective system as provided for by the Government measure. They tried to reduce the number of members for Perth and Fremantle, and seemed to affirm, as a newspaper writer put it, that "land, and sand, and sheep, and kangaroos must have Parliamentary representation; and that population and property, education and intelligence must take a back seat." The Legislative Assembly would not agree to the amendments made by the Council. A conference of five members of each Chamber was held, and after a two hours' discussion adjourned without coming to a decision. By what might be termed "sharp practice" the Constitution Amendment Bill passed the Upper House on the same evening. The voting had previously been evenly balanced, and while one of the opponents was absent an amendment was moved to the motion to adopt the report of the conference, and, in effect, said that the Council did not insist upon the amendments in question in the bill. This was carried by majority of one, and the measure was virtually passed as drafted by the Government.
The Constitution Act Amendment Act 1893 was assented to on 13th October, 1893. It provided for the constitution of a Legislative Council, to consist of twenty members to be elected by seven Electoral Provinces. Each of the following seven Provinces were to return three members:—
Any man having resided in Western Australia for two years was capable of being elected to the Legislative Council, provided that he was thirty years of age, was not subject to any legal incapacity, and was a natural born subject of Her Majesty, or had been naturalised for five years and had resided in the colony during that period. The property qualification to which strong exception had been taken when the Constitution Bill was before the House of Commons was thus abolished. The seat of the senior member for the time being for each province was to be vacated at the end of two years, and also on completion of each succeeding period of two years. Seniority was determined by the date of election, but in the event two or more being elected for a province upon the same day, the member who polled the smallest number of votes must retire; in the event of equality of votes, or of an unopposed return, seniority was to be determined by the alphabetical precedence of surnames, and, if necessary, of Christian names. The right to vote to the election of the Legislative Council was given to every man over twenty-one years of age who was a natural born or naturalised subject of Her Majesty, and was not subject to any legal incapacity. He must have possessed a freehold estate in his Province of the clear value £100 for twelve months before registration; or have been a householder occupying for twelve months a dwelling-house of the clear annual value of £25; or have owned a leasehold estate in his province valued at £25 for eighteen months, and with not less than eighteen months to run; or have held for twelve months a lease or license from the Crown to depasture, occupy, cultivate, or mine upon Crown lands within the province at a rental of not less than £10 per annum; or have his name on the electoral list of any municipality or road board district in respect of property within the province of the annual rateable value of not less than £25. No aboriginal native of Australia, Asia, or Africa was entitled to be registered on the roll to either the Council or Assembly except in respect of a freehold qualification, and no elector possessed of more than one qualification within a province was entitled to be registered more than once for that province in the Council.
The constitution of the Legislative Assembly was amended to
