Eastern Downs Election. Nomination Day - June 1867

The Eastern Downs Election — Nomination Day

Warwick Argus and Tenterfield Chronicle, Friday, 21 June 1867, p. 2.

The nomination of candidates to represent the electorate of Eastern Downs in the new Parliament, took place here on Tuesday at noon. Hustings had been specially erected for the occasion, as it was judged there would not be sufficient room in the Court House to carry out the proceedings properly, and afford accommodation for the large assemblage anticipated to be present. The weather, however, proved most unpropitious, the rain coming down, as it had done for about twelve hours previously, with a cold, uncomfortable steadiness. It being, therefore, impossible to conduct the proceedings out of doors, the Returning-officer decided to make use of the Court House, which was densely crowded before twelve o'clock, and many were unable to gain admission. At the appointed hour,

The RETURNING-OFFICER (D. M. Sinclair, Esq., P.M.) rose, and stated that that was the third time within nine months on which they had met to elect a representative to serve them for the electorate of Eastern Downs. He then read the writ received from His Excellency, and concluded by calling upon the electors to nominate candidates.

Mr. JAMES MORGAN rose and proposed the Hon. John Douglas as a fit and proper person to represent the electorate of Eastern Downs in the ensuing Parliament. He regretted that the gentleman who had so gracefully performed the duty on the previous occasion was not there to perform the same duty that day. Every act of Mr. Douglas's past Parliamentary career was such as ought to gain the confidence of all the electors, and every one who had the interest of his family at heart would, he hoped, follow his example, by voting for Mr. Douglas.

Mr. SIMON MAYER rose to second the nomination, and endorsed the views of the previous speaker, concluding by saying that he hoped on polling day each and every one would vote for Mr. Douglas. (Cheers.)

The RETURNING-OFFICER then called upon any other elector to propose another candidate, when, after an interval of about two or three minutes, the audience staring wonderingly one at another, expecting that Mr. Green had retired from the field,

Mr. JAMES M'INTOSH proposed that Mr. Charles Henry Green was a fit and proper person to represent the electorate of Eastern Downs in the ensuing Parliament.

Mr. J. WINSTONE seconded the motion.

The RETURNING-OFFICER called for a show of hands on behalf of the candidates, and declared the result to be in favour of Mr. Douglas. (Loud cheers.)

Mr. GREEN demanded a poll, and was met by great uproar, which lasted for several minutes. He attempted to make some remarks, but the noise was such as to drown his voice.

The RETURNING-OFFICER here interfered, and called the attention of the audience on behalf of the candidates who rose to address them.

The Hon. J. DOUGLAS then rose, and was met by rapturous applause. He said—Mr. Returning-Officer, and Electors of Eastern Downs—the reception you have given me to-day affords me some amends for the disappointment I feel that the gentlemen who on a former occasion proposed and seconded me with so much pleasure as a fit and proper person to represent you in Parliament have now joined the ranks in the hostile camp. Those who then professed to support me now oppose me, and it is some satisfaction to me that from the reception with which I have been met to-day, I can rely upon your suffrages on the present occasion. I am most anxious that the contest should be conducted in the most friendly spirit. My opponents are almost all my personal friends. The only difference between us has been that of politics, and I hope no other difference will ever occur between us. But, gentlemen, I am not here to serve friends—I am here to serve the public. (Cheers.) I did expect that on this occasion we should have had something that would relieve the solemn tedium usual on occasions like the present. I did expect from the opposition that something would have been said to lead you to believe that I was unworthy to be your representative; instead of that, we had a few bald words which neither show that I am unworthy, nor that the gentlemen who oppose me is worthy of your support. In exposing the inconsistency of my opponents, I will read the terms in which Mr. Chas. Clark, on the last occasion, proposed me as a fit and proper person to represent you in the Legislative Assembly. (He then read an extract from the Warwick Argus, speaking of him—Mr. Douglas—in the most superlative terms.) I now understand that both these gentlemen who proposed and seconded me are determined to turn me out, and have signed a requisition to Mr. Green to come forward and oust me if possible from the proud position of being your representative. (Mr. Green here rose and denied the imputation.) I am almost ashamed that a gentleman who, under such feelings of pleasure, could state that there was no man other than myself whom they could choose to represent them who could do it so well—that, in fact, I was “the most rising statesman in Queensland.” (Cheers.) I am sure, gentlemen, you will excuse all my blushes in the face of such redundant terms of compliment from Mr. Charles Clark. Surely I must have done something very dreadful when I see these gentlemen now arrayed against me. What have I done to merit this censure? (A Voice: You did not give them run enough.) Gentlemen, I now come to the question, which above all questions is now agitating your minds. Our land policy is the mainstay at issue at the present time. Mr. Green tells you that it was in consequence of my action in reference to certain offices of the State which I hold that he now opposes me. Do you believe it? (A Voice: No.) No more do I. (Cheers.) I tell you it is not a matter of indifference to any elector present whether or not I am elected for the Eastern Downs. It is not a personal matter, but affects the well-being of the colony at large, for you are struggling to assert those rights which you have never hitherto possessed. A gross system of mismanagement has hitherto prevailed, and it is only now that the people are beginning to feel their power and indicate their will to exercise it. I will now tell you the real reason of all this opposition. The fact is, that the Government had taken such action in connection with the Crown Lands, that these gentlemen did not like it, and all sorts of objections were taken to the Reserves which had been recently proclaimed. It had been repeatedly asserted that these lands so reserved were unfitted for agricultural purposes; but I simply assert that such is not the case. (The speaker then shortly referred to the subject of a Commonage for Warwick, and said that the question was too complicated to discuss its merits then, but he would state, on the part of the Government, that when the question was fairly before the House it would be properly adjusted.) The speaker then entered upon some very humorous remarks with regard to Mr. Green's liberality, which called forth great laughter, and after some bantering and uproar silence was restored.) Did you ever know anything wrong with me in discharge of the functions of my office as a magistrate amongst you? (A Voice: No!) You have known me in my place in the Legislature of Queensland. Did I ever do anything to dishonour my pledge, or forfeit your esteem? And when your interests were neglected, was I not the only one who stood forward in your defence? If you want to pick a quarrel with me in reference to the Warwick and Toowoomba Railway, you can do so if you like, or if any other elector has anything against me in connection with this electorate, let him come forward and state it. (Great applause.) You have now important principles to decide. If the party now dominant is to be dominant still, and you reject me as your representative, I must accept your verdict; but it will not be the verdict of the country. Their triumph will only be short-lived, and the result must be that the principles which I seek to be established will be established firmly. In this particular portion of the colony there might be corruption, but nevertheless the cause would not be lost. (The speaker sat down amidst loud applause.)

Mr. CHAS. CLARK rose, and wished to put a few questions. Having read a letter in the Warwick Argus, signed F. A. Cooper, he asked the candidate if it was written with either his sanction or knowledge.

Mr. DOUGLAS emphatically said “No!”

The same question was repeated with reference to an advertisement in the same paper, headed: “Vote for Douglas and Cooper,” to which Mr. Douglas replied that he had no connection with Mr. Cooper, either privately or politically, but stood upon his own footing.

Mr. MARSHAL, amidst great uproar, asked if, in the event of his being rejected for the Eastern Downs, he intended to stand for the town electorate?

Mr. DOUGLAS replied that if rejected, he should not stand for any other electorate.

Mr. GEORGE CLARK asked whether the candidate was prepared to do away with the restrictions in the Agricultural Reserves.

Mr. DOUGLAS replied that he was not prepared to do anything of the sort, as, in his opinion, cultivation and occupation restrictions were most important for the future well-being of the country. There were thousands of acres of land at the heads of certain creeks suitable for agriculture which it was of vast importance should be kept open.

Mr. GEORGE CLARK put a lengthy question regarding what should be done with the land on the west side of the railway, to which Mr. DOUGLAS replied that he would advocate the throwing open of all good watered country, whether black soil or not, so as to extend the settled districts of the colony.

Mr. GEORGE CLARKE asked the candidate if he was prepared, in the event of a re-distribution of seats, to advocate for a member for the four centres?

Mr. DOUGLAS said he believed that the town boundary was a very improper one. He believed population to be the only true basis whereon to define the electorates, but he would not give a special member to farmers more than to blacksmiths or bushcrushers. (Laughter.)

Mr. C. H. GREEN then came forward and after returning thanks to Mr. Douglas for his courtesy, said—I can take no exception to anything he has uttered. I was his friend almost as soon as he came to the country, and though we may differ on the ground of politics, I trust no other difference will ever arise between us. I should however, have liked to have heard Mr. Douglas say something about the enormous indebtedness of the colony. I should have liked him to have told us how the sum of £225,000 annually, as interest on the sale of our debentures is to be met. By his silence on this point I think he has somewhat shirked the question. The amount of our indebtedness is something enormous, and Mr. Douglas, of all others, was in the best position to explain what the Government intended to do to get us out of the mess in which they had involved us. Why should such an amount for the payment of interest on the sale of debentures go out of the country? Mr. Douglas took great credit to himself for his consistency, but if that consistency had been fully believed in, there would have been no opposition to him that day. Mr. Douglas had opposed the Warwick Railway, and he never changed his tactics until he became a Minister of the Crown. Is that consistency? I well recollect last Christmas morning last, when Mr. Douglas called upon me at Goomburra. The very first question I asked was, “What are you going to do about the Warwick Railway?” His reply was, “I have joined the present Ministry, and henceforth their policy must be my policy,” and afterwards we suddenly find him carrying out the very work he had previously opposed. Is that consistency? Then as to his resigning the Treasurership upon the ground that he could not agree with the policy of the Government regarding the question of Immigration, which he had declared to be the most important question of the day, and immediately afterwards accepting office with the same Ministry, was another piece of gross inconsistency. He knew perfectly well that as Colonial Treasurer it would suit not his book to receive land orders instead of cash, and his course of procedure was simply removing the difficulties of his position to other shoulders, and at the same time securing his own pay as a Minister of the Crown. All that Mr. Douglas had explained with regard to the course he had adopted, was that it was understood between Mr. Macalister and himself that the question of immigration should remain an open one. If he could not agree with the policy of the Government as Treasurer, how could he conscientiously remain with them as Minister for Works, when the policy they were about to adopt was identically the same he had avowedly denounced. You do not require any renewal of immigration under any system whatever. When our railways are finished we shall have labour enough to last us for at least two years to come, without any fresh immigrants landing on our shores. Whence did all this gross mismanagement arise? Did it not arise with the Government of which Mr. Douglas was a member? (Interruption, Mr. Douglas denying that he was responsible, as he had not long been a member of the Government.) Who sent to England for railway stations and plant when there were hundreds of men out of employment who could have built these stations? Why, the Government of which Mr. Douglas was a member. Who had spent £16,000 for a station at Ipswich, and £28,000 for that at Toowoomba? Why, the Government of which Mr. Douglas was a member. (Mr. Douglas here explained that the total cost of all the stations would not exceed £50,000.) Who was it that had spent a vast amount of money in the erection of that monument of extravagance and folly, the Council Chambers in Brisbane? Why, the Government of which Mr. Douglas was a member. (Interruption.) I will now say a few words upon the Impounding Act. (Groaning and uproar.) I do not agree with its present provisions. I have been accused of impounding to a great degree from Goomburra, but within six years I have only sent cattle to the Warwick pound seven times; and I defy you to prove that I ever sent a horned beast to the Allora pound in my life. I have heard a piteous tale of a poor old woman with fifteen children, whose cows I am represented to have impounded, but as I never in my life sent a beast to the Allora pound, the charge does not affect me much. After all, the main question is the land question, and my idea is, that the squatter should hold the land until the people require it for other purposes than that of grazing. I think the change should be a gradual one, and the time has now arrived when the squatter ought to give way. I prefer the homœpathic treatment to the allopathic system of blistering and bleeding. We have however, nothing but our lands to fall back upon, and those lands must be sold, no matter who holds them, to pay our debts. Every squatter's interest is as much involved as that of the agriculturist. With respect to the recent proclamation of Reserves, Mr. Douglas has stated that the cause of my opposition is that I do not agree with it. Such is not the case. If one word from me to-morrow morning would do away with those Reserves, I would not utter it. The value of these lands has been very much over-rated, as many of the electors well know. There was more good land on the other side of the railway, and the time has arrived when the whole of these lands ought to be reserved. (Mr. Douglas: They can be.) The conduct of the Government with reference to Mr. Hill's report has not been bona fide. He (Mr. Hill) had done his work openly, honestly, and as a man, and if you return me as your representative, I shall at once recommend that the whole of that report be carried out in its integrity. To a certain extent I agree with Mr. Douglas. (Great interruption, which rendered the speaker inaudible for some minutes). If I find the sense of the House to be in favour of all the black soil being at once thrown open, I shall not be against it. I shall also advocate that those farmers who have taken up land under the old Act at 6d. an acre shall have those lands placed under the operation of the present Leasing Act, and the money they have paid in rent to be appropriated to the purchase of the fee-simple. I believe too much extravagance has been manifested in conducting our public works. Every man in office must be carefully watched, and every sixpence carefully expended. Any one returned as your member must advocate the principle of retrenchment, beginning at the top. I do not advocate taking off £10 from the salary of a poor clerk; retrenchment should commence with the high officers of the State. As long as we are indebted to the extent we are, economy must be the order of the day, and we could hardly expect those men to reduce their own salaries to meet the exigencies of the colony. I thank you for having listened to me so patiently, and I ask the electors who came here to listen to the candidates before you to judge between us. (The speaker sat down amidst cheers.)

The RETURNING-OFFICER then announced that the poll would take place on Friday (to-day), commencing at nine o'clock a.m., and closing at 4 p.m.

Three cheers were then given for the Returning-Officer, and Mr. Douglas followed by mixed cheers and groans for Mr. Green.

Mr. DOUGLAS proposed a vote of thanks to the Returning-Officer for his conduct on the occasion, which was seconded by Mr. GREEN, and carried with acclamation.

The Returning-Officer having briefly returned thanks, the meeting separated.