Though no man be assur’d what grace to find
You stand in coldest
expectation.
King Henry IV, Part II, Act
five, Scene two
With Estimates due in November, I thought it might be useful to see how far we have come in Upper House scrutiny over the past century and a half. The following text is taken in its entirety from the Western
Australian Parliamentary Hansard (link
here).
WA Legislative Council Thursday, 4th July, 1878.
DUTY ON FURNITURE AND BAGGAGE OF HIS LORDSHIP
BISHOP PARRY.
Sir T. COCKBURN-CAMPBELL — having
elicited from the Colonial Secretary the fact that, on the occasion of the
arrival in the Colony of Bishop Parry, his furniture and baggage were admitted,
as had been done in the case of his predecessor, without payment of duty, and
that His Lordship had since been called upon to pay duty on the same,-moved a
resolution to the effect that in view of the exceptional circumstances under
which the Bishop had been called upon twelve months after his arrival in the
Colony-to pay the duty, the Council should respectfully suggest to the
Government that the payment should not be enforced….
… No doubt the Bishop was prepared to pay the duty on his
arrival in the Colony, but he was then led to believe that he had no duty to
pay, but, twelve months afterwards, a sudden and totally unexpected call was
made upon him for payment of the duty. This appeared to the hon. baronet to be
such an irregular proceeding on the part of the Government officers concerned
in the matter, that he thought the House would be quite justified in entering a
protest against such irregularities….
…. Mr. CROWTHER, though not intending to oppose the
resolution, intimated that in the event of its being affirmed, he would bring
forward a similar motion with respect to some articles belonging to the Bishop
of New Norcia, who in like manner had been called upon to pay duty some time
after the goods-certain vestments for his own use-had been landed. A minister
of the Congregational body who not long ago arrived in the Colony all had also
been called upon to pay duty on his baggage, and the same had occurred still
more recently in the case of a Wesleyan minister. Personally, he did not care
two straws whether the clergy were really entitled to the privilege of having
their furniture and baggage admitted duty free; but if the concession was made
with regard -to the clergy of one denomination it ought to be extended to the
ministers of every other religious denomination. If such a privilege really did
attach to the clerical office, all he could say was he was sorry he was not a
dignitary of the church himself….
…. Mr. MARMION regretted very much that the
attention of the House had been called to the matter at all, and thought they
were entering upon very dangerous ground. In saying so, he had no intention
whatever to oppose the resolution, but he did think it was a pity the subject
had come before the House in any way, inasmuch as it would have a tendency to
impress upon the minds of many persons 'outside that there exists in this
country what had not existed for many years back-a State Church, and that there
were privileges granted to the clergy of that church which were not granted to
the clergy of other denominations….
….. The resolution was then put to the House and carried on
the voices.
On the House resuming, Sir. T. COCKBURN-CAMPBELL
said that in explanation, and in justice to Bishop Parry, he would like to say
that the Bishop had never said a word to him about this matter, nor was His
Lordship aware that he had intended to propose such a resolution.
….
Friday 12 July 1878
ESTIMATES: FURTHER CONSIDERED IN COMMITTEE….
…. Aborigines, Item £1,210 read:
MR. MONGER called attention to
the practice adopted in distributing blankets to aborigines. These blankets
were sent from Perth to York to the Resident Magistrates, who-no doubt with the
best intention issued them to the settlers for distribution to the natives; but
as a rule the blankets were given to their own native shepherds, who traded
with the bush natives, obtaining opossum skins in barter for the blankets given
away by the Government. He would suggest that the blankets should be issued by
the Resident Magistrate at York to the police-constables stationed to the
Eastward (and not to the settlers) for distribution among the natives.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (Hon.
R. T. Goldsworthy) said if that were very glad at all times to learn the views
of hon. members on such matters, and to give them every consideration, as he
would with regard to the present suggestion.
MR. CAREY thought it would be a
very good plan to leave the distribution of the blankets in the hands of the
police, rather than in the hands of the settlers. He would also suggest that
they be distributed in the early part of the year; at present, the natives did
not receive them until the winter was half over.
The vote for "Aborigines" was then put and
passed.
