[Editor: This article, regarding the proceedings of the third day (3 July 1901) of the Queensland Labor Party’s 1901 Convention, was published in The Worker (Brisbane, Qld.), 6 July 1901. It includes a section regarding the refusal of the royal assent to the Sugar Works Guarantee Act Amendment Bill.]
Third Day. — Wednesday, July 3.
Convention resumed at 10 a.m., Mr. Browne, M.L.A., being in the chair.
Correspondence was read from Mrs. Adams, conveying the intelligence that her husband (who had been representing Rockhampton) was too ill to attend. The secretary was instructed to reply to the communication expressing sympathy with Mr. Adams and hoping for a speedy recovery.
NEW DELEGATES.
Mr. H. Turley, M.L.A., presented credentials from Charleville in the room of Mr. Bowman, M.L.A., called to Bundaberg, which were accepted. Mr. George Jackson, M.L.A., was chosen to act for Rockhampton in the room of Mr. Adams, prevented from attending through ill health.
Discussion on the platform was then continued, and after amendment was formally adopted together with the “Conditions of Candidature.”
NOTICES OF MOTION.
The following motions notice of which had been given, were then submitted, and after brief discussion, carried.
By Mr. Ross, seconded by Mr. Martin: “That the Parliamentary Labour Party be congratulated on its magnificent stand against syndicate railways and urged to a continuance of the same militant attitude.”
By Mr. Demaine, seconded by Mr. Kewley: “That prior to the next Convention the Central Political Executive communicate with all organisations asking for suggestions or proposals as to the business to be done at the coming Convention, and that on receipt of these the Executive formulate their business sheet and send it to the various organisations for instruction of delegates thereon.”
By Mr. Ross, seconded by Mr. Givens, M.L.A.: “That the refusal of the Royal Assent to the Sugar Works Guarantee Act Amendment Bill is an infringement on the principle of self-government, for which the present Queensland Ministry is obviously responsible, inasmuch as the four private railway bills passed in the same session contained an equally strong provision against the employment of coloured aliens (for which it is alleged the Sugar Works Act was vetoed) yet were at once assented to by the Governor, thus showing clearly that his Excellency’s responsible advisers must have advised him to withhold the Bill for the Royal Assent, and then made such representations to the Home Authorities as induced them to veto it.”
THE FEDERAL LABOUR PARTY.
It was resolved on the motion of Mr. G. Jackson, M.L.A., seconded by Mr. A. Warnock, — “That this Convention congratulates the members of the Federal Labour Party on their recent victories at the polls, and on the successful formation of a United Parliamentary Labour Party.”
Mr. McDonald, M.P., who intimated his intention of returning to Melbourne the following morning, was requested to convey the resolution to the members of the Federal Labour Party.
At 10 p.m. the Convention adjourned until the following morning.
Source:
The Worker (Brisbane, Qld.), 6 July 1901, p. 10
Editor’s notes:
Bill = a proposed law, or a proposed amendment to an existing law
See: “Bill (law)”, Wikipedia
Givens = Henry Thomas Givens (1864-1928) (known as Thomas), miner, trade unionist, newspaper editor, and politician (Labor Party); he was born in Cappagh White (also known as: Cappawhite or Cappaghwhite; in County Tipperary, Ireland) in 1864, came to Australia in 1882, and died in Canterbury (Victoria) in 1928
See: 1) D. J. Murphy, “Thomas Givens (1864–1928)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “Thomas Givens”, Parliament of Australia
3) “Givens, Thomas”, Queensland Parliament
4) “Thomas Givens”, Wikipedia
his Excellency = a title of respect used regarding male heads of state (other than monarchs), heads of government, governors, ambassadors, high-ranking church officials, and various other aristocrats and officials of high rank (the form of address is commonly rendered as “His Excellency”, with both words capitalised)
Home Authorities = in an historical Australian context, the British authorities, the British government
M.L.A. = (abbreviation) Member of the Legislative Assembly
M.P. = (abbreviation) Member of Parliament
room = place, stead; e.g. “in the room of” means “in the place of” (regarding the replacement of a person, idea, motion, etc.)
Royal Assent = the formal signing of legislation passed by a parliament by the ruling monarch (or the ruling monarch’s representative, such as a Governor or a Governor-General), by which the legislation then becomes law; the approval; under the colonial, state, and federal constitutions of Australia, even after legislation was assented to by a Governor or a Governor-General in Australia, the ruling monarch of the United Kingdom had the legal ability to rescind the vice-regal assent within a specified period of time
See: 1) “Royal assent”, Wikipedia
2) “Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act – Sect 59: Disallowance by the Queen”, Commonwealth Consolidated Acts [the federal constitution of Australia allows the UK monarch to “disallow any law within one year from the Governor-General’s assent”]
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