the Colonies did not adduce them—to be brought in favour of separation. The northern and southern portions of the colony were so dissimilar in all their conditions that with a dense population, holding immense interests, the machine of government would have to be in perfect harmony to give universal satisfaction. But experience had shown that since the inauguration, in 1870, of even a limited form of self-government the colony had made an advance out of proportion to that of all the years anterior to that date, and this, and the results of autonomy to British colonists in other parts of the world, should have convinced Sir H. Holland that the local people might well be trusted to manage their own affairs, and to promote the prosperity of their whole territory. The difficulty was that many illustrious British statesmen had not yet thoroughly studied the colonial question, did not relish being bothered by such matters, and were apt to make blunders. At any rate, in the colony itself, the representatives of the Northern territory joined with those of the south in asking that autonomy should be granted to them as one colony, and they were willing to allow the future of the separation hobby to work out its own ends as events and developments might decree.
The refusal of the Secretary for the Colonies to sanction, in 1887-8, a loan for £500,000, a considerable portion of which was required for public works in the north-west, caused considerable irritation. Governor Broome, when requesting his approval of it, bemoaned the depressed condition of agriculture, and the tendency of population to centralise in the towns to the detriment of the country. He pointed out that the lines of railway had not resulted in the establishment of new farms and houses in the country they drained, and that there were signs of reckless borrowing. In his despatch upon the request, the Secretary for the Colonies said that as the revenue prospects were uncertain, and a constitutional change was under consideration, such a large loan was undesirable. He subsequently, however, granted the raising of £100,000.
On 21st March, 1888, the Legislative Council again applied itself to a discussion of Responsible Government. Mr. Hensman moved several propositions, which, he considered, should be included in the new constitution. In effect they asked that the Executive Council consist of the Governor and five Ministers of the Crown; that the Parliament consist of a single-elected chamber of thirty members, to be called the Legislative Council, which should have power to create a second Legislative Chamber at a future time if two-thirds of the members consented thereto; that the colony be divided into twenty-eight electoral districts, to return one member each except Perth and Fremantle, which should return two each; and that the Assembly be elected for three years, and members be paid their actual expenses while sitting, but not an amount exceeding £50 a year. He also proposed certain electoral qualifications.
Mr. S.H. Parker, on 23rd March, moved other resolutions referring to the Secretary for the Colonies' despatches, which purported that to indicate at present any future boundary of a northern political subdivision was premature, and open to serious objection; that the line of demarcation suggested was most undesirable; that the reservation of northern lands,with the investment of proceeds, was unnecessary, and would raise needless complications; that the constitution should from the first provide for a second Legislative Chamber, to be elected by the people; that in view of persistent differences of opinion disclosing themselves between the two Chambers, definite provision be made for the peaceable and final settlement of disputes, at the same time preserving the co-ordinate powers and equal authority of the two Houses in passing laws; and that no necessity had been shown for placing the interests of the aboriginal population in the hands of a body independent of the local Ministry. A comprehensive and interesting debate, lasting four days, followed upon these several propositions. Mr. Hensman withdrew his resolutions, and those of Mr. Parker were agreed to. Mr. Venn sought to carry a motion that the question of a Constitutional Bill be referred to a Select Committee, and that the resolutions already affirmed be considered as instructions in the drafting of that bill, but an amendment by Mr. Marmion, praying the Governor to introduce during the session a Constitution Bill framed on the Council's resolutions, suggested a more conciliatory course, and was carried. Slight changes took place in the Legislative Council in 1888. Mr. Parker resigned his seat as member for Perth, and was succeeded by Mr. J. Horgan, who defeated Mr. S. Burt, after a close contest. Mr. Parker was subsequently elected in place of Mr. G. Layman, resigned. In February Mr. A.J. McRae died, and his seat was taken by Mr. W.H. Sholl, who resigned in June, and Mr. S. Burt succeeded him. In 1887 the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Malcolm Fraser, was knighted, and a similar dignity was conferred on the Speaker, Mr. J.G. Lee-Steere, in 1888.
Governor Broome, assisted by his Executive, now set himself the task of drafting the desired bill. In 1888 Sir H. Holland was raised to the Peerage, with the title of Lord Knutsford. Lord Knutsford, as Secretary for the Colonies, did not greatly alter the tactics he followed when Sir H. Holland. But he now assumed that the desire for autonomy was demanded with authority, and he carried on a voluminous correspondence with Governor Broome on detail matters. In these despatches he discussed with Governor Broome various schemes of Responsible Government. One of his proposals was that Western Australia should adopt an experimental single chamber system of Parliament, giving his reason that as the population was so small it would be better to concentrate the best men in one House. Governor Broome combated this suggestion very vigorously. in a despatch, dated 28th May, 1888, he writes:—"There is nothing, so far as I know, within the limits of the British Empire that can be called a precedent for the experiment of a single chamber in Western Australia, and I think such an experiment full of danger. Much irremediable harm might be done before the constitution could be changed. Further, it is well known that there is nothing more difficult in politics than to persuade a representative Assembly that it should surrender power; and, whatever right were reserved to Her Majesty-in-Council, there might be considerable difficulty in altering a constitution once granted." He then argued that Western Australia should have a constitution in harmony with those of the neighbouring states of Australia, and adhered to his recommendation that the two Houses should be elected by the people. While still thinking that the establishment of an Aborigines' Protection Board would be a wise procedure, he was convinced that local legislators could be trusted to discountenance anything like unjust or illiberal treatment of the natives. He suggested an estate of £500 as a qualification for a member of Parliament, and the reservation of a civil list amounting to £9,850, with a Governor's salary fixed at £4,000. He estimated that the introduction of Responsible Government would involve an additional charge on the finances of £6,910 per annum. The resolutions of the Legislative Council were forwarded to Lord Knutsford, who abandoned his single Chamber proposal, and accepted the views of local legislators with regard to a Legislative Council, but he suggested that its members should be nominated, at all events, in the first instance.
The terms upon which Governor Broome should draft the bill were finally agreed to between Lord Knutsford and himself. The procedure was that the Western Australian Legislative Council should first consider the measure; that representatives should
