Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 27
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
that the contemplated changes in the constitution of the Colony
not be assented to. Earl Grey refers the Governor to his despatch
of 31 July 1848 (No.133) for the view of Her Majesty's
Government on the subject to which it relates.
Also included is a copy of the petition from the inhabitants of Port
Phillip against the proposed new form of constitution for the
Australian colonies and for an early separation of the Port Phillip
District from New South Wales, together with a covering letter
from the Superintendent of Port Phillip of 9 March 1848. Both were
forwarded to the Secretary of State in the Governor's Despatch of
27 March 1848 (No.71).
A letter from Richard Blackwell of 28 March 1848 transmitting a
petition of the residents of Picton, on the same subject, is also
included. However, the petition is not with these papers.
1849 Minutes — M8322
Topnumbered as M8322 is a copy of Secretary of State Despatch
No.199 of 22 November 1848. This acknowledges the Governor's
Despatch of 11 May 1848 (No.111), in which was forwarded a
petition to the Queen from certain inhabitants of the Maitland
District. The petitioners prayed that Her Majesty would not assent
to any change in the Constitution of the Colony which should not
have received the previous sanction of the Colonists at large. Earl
Grey refers the Governor to his Despatch No.133 of 31 July 1848
as containing "the views of Her Majesty's Government with regard
to the future constitution of the Australian Colonies".
CGS 909,
M8322 in
[4/1029]
Included is a letter from E C Close, as Chairman of a public
meeting held in Maitland, transmitting a petition of inhabitants of
Maitland respecting projected changes in the constitution of New
South Wales. This petition, a copy of which is included here, was
that which was forwarded to the Secretary of State in Despatch
No.111
The petitioners refer to the published Despatch of the Secretary of
State of 31 July 1847, which indicated a change in the constitution
of the Colony. The petitioners assure Her Majesty that
any measure establishing municipalities, similar in principle to
the District Councils attempted to be created by the Act of
Parliament 5 and 6 Victoria cap:76, would be so repugnant to
the wishes and so adverse to the interests of this community
that it is utterly impracticable that it could ever be brought into
effective operation. That the change in the Constitution of this
Colony, proposed in the before mentioned Despatch, would
have the effect of depriving us of the elective franchise, which
we maintain to be our inalienable right as British subjects. ...
That we see nothing in the erection of Port Phillip into a
separate Colony to justify the extraordinary change which is, by
the beforementioned Despatch, proposed to be made in the
Constitution of the Colony. That we feel ourselves entitled to
expect that no important alteration in the Constitution shall be
made without the previous consent of those whose persons and
property, it may be intended to affect, for if such change was to
take place it would neither be expedient, practicable, nor likely
to be beneficial to the Colonies at present.
26
State Records Authority of New South Wales