582 PARLIAMENTS OF THE DOMINIONS [PART III
£3. QUEENSLAND
In the case of general legislation in Queensland matters
came to a head at the end of 19071 The Ministry of that
day—Mr. Kidston’s—commanded some twenty-four mem-
bers in the Legislative Assembly. There were in coalition
with him seventeen Labour members and an Opposition
which numbered thirty-one members. The coalition was
fairly close, but not, of course, perfect. The Legislative
Council in that session rejected two measures sent up from
the Lower House, namely a measure to abolish postal voting
and a measure to establish wages boards. The postal voting
measure had been introduced because of the feeling that
the postal vote enabled influence to be brought to bear on the
voters, more especially women, and that the result of this
influence was beneficial to the party in opposition. The
Wages Board Bill was obnoxious to the Opposition because
of its attempt to apply its terms to agricultural pursuits—
a matter of considerable importance in a country like
Queensland. Mr. Kidston was anxious to obtain assurances
from the Governor that if the Upper House persisted in
its opposition he would sanction the addition of sufficient
members to overcome that opposition. It was not desired
to exercise this power if it could be avoided; the idea
rather was that by the Governor letting it be known that
he would be prepared to accept advice the necessity of the
advice being tendered would be avoided. To this, of course,
there was no constitutional objection; indeed it was in
exact accordance with the step taken in England at the time
of the passing of the Reform Act of 1832. But the Governor
felt unable to accept the advice of the Ministry, and accord-
ingly Mr. Kidston resigned, and the Governor sent at once
for Mr. Philp, the leader of the Opposition, and asked him
to form a Ministry. Mr. Philp did so, but in the Lower
House he found himself unable to obtain supply. The
majority in that House protested that a change of Ministry
was undesirable, that they were willing to proceed with
* See Parliamentary Debates, c. 1735 seq. ; ci. 38 seq.
