Responsible That great change in the colonial system of administration known as "The Introduction of Responsible Government"— that is of ministers appointed by and responsible to the governor, but consti tutionally and practically responsible to Parlia ment—is said by some authorities to have been effected solely by despatches from the Secre tary of State to colonial governors. These despatches described the circumstances in which the Crown, through the governor for the time being, would exercise its right of displacing one set of public servants and of appointing others in their places — that no change would be made so long as those public servants, being ministers in charge of departments, possessed the confidence of the local legislature. In the body of the Constitution Act of New South Wales (and this remark applies equally to that of Victoria) the words °responsible do not occur. Were it not for a marginal note to one of the sections, not even a hint would have been given on its face of the important change it was intended to effect.
Other constitutional jurists, however, affirm that section 37 of the Constitution Act of New South Wales, and the corresponding section of that of Victoria, contains provisions which as sume if they do not originate some plan of ministerial and responsible government. Both those sections declared that appointments of all public offices shall be vested in the governor with the advice of the Executive Council, "ex cept the appointment of officers liable to retire from office on political grounds which appoint ments shall be vested in the governor alone." The Constitution Acts of South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia contain substantially similar sections. But section 18 of the Constitution Act of Victoria and section 32 of the act of South Australia went much further in the direction of expressly recogniz ing and introducing responsible government. Those sections enacted that a certain number of officers of the governments in those colonies for the time being should be members of the legislature created by the new constitutions. On 22 May 1856, the first Parliament of New South Wales under the new Constitution was opened by Sir William T. Denison. The first responsible ministry had Mr. Alexander Don aldson as Colonial and Premier.
Administration and the establishment of responsible government in NeW South Wales the initial pulsations of po litical life in Australia may fairly be said to date their beginnings. The governor of the colony was the representative of the Crown, but he was no longer his own Prime Minister. In 1859 a new Parliament was elected under the provisions of an Act to Amend the Con stitution, introduced and passed by the advice of the Cowper administration, providing for in creased electoral representation, vote by ballot and manhood suffrage which in later years was developed into "one man one vote," and finally into "one adult one vote."
In 1860 the Robertson Ministry introduced two land bills, one providing for the alienation and the other for the pastoral occupation of Crown lands. The main principles of these bills were free selection — before survey, which constituted the battle-cry of the land reformers, In 1861 the bills were again introduced into the Assembly, Mr. Robertson resigned his seat in the Assembly and was appointed a member of the Council in order to pilot the bills through that chamber. Both bills were again passed by the Assembly and sent to the Council. In order to counteract and overcome the opposi tion in the Council it was decided to swamp that chamber by the appointment of 21 members. A parliamentary crisis was thus brought about. A majority of the old members withdrew from the chamber, thus leaving it without a quorum and the fresh nominees could not be sworn in. The term of office of the first members of the Council was limited to five years, which was then about to expire. The Council was recon structed by the appointment of 27 life members on 24 June 1861; Wentworth being appointed the first. president. In 1862 the Crown land alienation bill and the Crown land occupation bill were passed by both Houses. A Chinese immigration restriction bill, embodying the main provisions of Victorian legislation, was also passed.
In 1863 Messrs. Dailey and Parkes returned to the colony from England, where they had been sent on a mission to promote emigration to New South Wales. From this time on Mr. Parkes became a prominent figure in the po litical world of New South Wales. He was closely identified with the cause of free trade. In 1868 Mr. Parkes resigned and temporarily withdrew from public life. The most notable public events of this period were the with drawal of the British troops from New South Wales and Victoria, and the successful trans mission of the first through cable message from Australia to England.
In 1872 the Martin-Robertson Ministry was defeated. Mr. Parkes having returned to the House was entrusted with the task of forming a ministry. He retained the premiership until 1875, when his government was defeated on the motion by Mr. Robertson. The Robertson Ministry remained in office until 17 Dec. 1877, when Mr. Parkes formed another ministry which had but a short reign. A political duel went on between Mr. Parkes and Mr. Robert son for a considerable time, but was at last terminated by a coalition of the two leaders who, in December 1878, formed a ministry which lasted until January 1883. In 1881 a Chinese immigration restriction act was passed imposing severe penalties on Chinese entering the colony without payment of a poll tax of f10. An act was passed legalizing trade unions. The Federal Council of Australia was created on 28 Nov. 1883. A rich silver field was dis covered at Broken Hill (1883).