provide for the election of thirty-three representatives, instead of thirty as previously. The change was principally designed to give representation to the goldfields, and Pilbarra, Nannine, and Yilgarn were added to the constituencies under the Constitution Act 1889. The boundaries of other electoral districts were altered. It was thus possible for the goldfields people to elect three members to the Assembly. Any man who had resided in the colony for twelve months could be elected to the Assembly provided that he was twenty-one years of age, was a natural born or naturalised subject of Her Majesty, and was not subject to any legal incapacity. As in the Legislative Council, the property qualification was abolished. Every man could vote for the Assembly who was twenty-one years of age, and had resided in his electoral district for six months. But he must own freehold valued at £50; or be a householder occupying any house, warehouse, counting house, office, shop, or other building valued at £10 per annum; or be possessed of a leasehold of the annual value of £10; or have held for six months a lease or a license from the Crown to depasture, occupy, cultivate, or mine upon Crown lands within the district at a rental of not less than £5 per annum. Concerning the powers of the two Houses, it was provided that the Legislative Council could return any bill which according to law must originate in the Legislative Assembly, to the Lower House, with a message requesting the remission or amendment of any items or provisions therein.
As no provision was made in this new Act for the compilation of Electoral Rolls prior to the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly, a special session of Parliament was held in December, 1893, and made the necessary order. Both Houses were dissolved and general elections to the Assembly were held in June, 1894, and to the Council in July. The new Legislative Assembly consisted of G. Leake, S. Burt, C. Harper, Sir John Forrest (unopposed), A.R. Richardson (unopposed), W.E. Marmion, E. Solomon (unopposed), W.S. Pearse, R.F. Shell (unopposed), G. T. Simpson, W. Traylan, (Chairman of Committees), S.J. Phillips (unopposed), F. Connor (unopposed), A. Forrest, H.B. Lefroy (unopposed), E.F. Darlot (unopposed), W. Patterson, Sir J.G. Lee-Steere (Speaker, unopposed), G. Throssell, F. Illingworth, G. Randell, W. James, B.C. Wood, H. F. Keep (unopposed), A.Y. Hassell (unopposed), H. Sholl (unopposed), J. Cookworthy, W.T. Loton (unopposed), D.B. Clarkson (unopposed), H.W. Venn (unopposed), F.H. Piesse, F.C. Monger (unopposed), and C.J. Moran. Messrs. Keep, Moran, and Illingworth were the goldfields representatives.
The new Legislative Council consisted of Sir G. Shenton (knighted 1893), S.H. Parker, H.J. Saunders, D.K. Congdon, E.W. Davies, T.H. Marshall, J.E. Richardson, F.M. Stone, E. Robinson, E.F. Wittenoom, E.G. Henty, H. McKernan, C.E. Dempster, R.G. Burges, R.W. Hardey, J.W. Hackett, E. McLarty, J.C. Foulkes, F.T. Crowder, S.J. Haynes, and C.A. Piesse.
The extended franchise had made very little difference in the standard of men elected to the Assembly, but in the Council the elective principle had brought together a body of legislators more obedient to the new trend of events. The politics of a stagnating colony were no longer admissible or convenient. Laws were required which would foster the new life in industry, and which were suitable to the almost unique circumstances of the colony. At the same time, considerable caution was necessary to prevent the country from going too fast. To discriminate between the two ways was the difficulty; perhaps in cases Parliament did not go far enough, and perhaps in cases it went too far. The finances were rapidly improving under the influence of the development in trade and industry and the increase in population. The old financial year was reckoned as from January to December, but in 1893 this order was changed, and to suit Parliament the public accounts were balanced on the 30th June of every year. The first six months of 1893 yielded a revenue of £298,101, and called for an expenditure of £335,891. The Premier estimated the revenue for the ensuing year at £589,500. and the expenditure at £651,962. In July, 1894, when he delivered his budget speech he was able to inform Parliament that the revenue had reached £681,245, nearly £100,000 above the estimates, while the expenditure was only £656,356, or little more than £100,000 beyond his estimate. This result was eminently satisfactory. The session of 1894 was largely devoted to public works measures, and especially to the sanctioning of railways to the goldfields as proposed by the Government. Two amendments were sought to be made to the constitution, and one of them was successful. This referred to the privileges of members of Parliament and of the police force in cases of penalties, actions, or other legal proceedings. The second referred to the Aborigines Protection Board, which was under the control of the Governor, and was independent of the Legislature altogether. The Government, now that the revenue exceeded £500,000, had to vote annual sums to this Board larger than the fixed sum of £5,000. It seemed anomalous under responsible government that money should be voted under circumstances where the responsible ministers had no control over its allocation. Sir John Forrest contended that it was not in accordance with the constitution that there should be any other power in the community than the Government. The Board applied its annual vote to relieving sick and infirm natives, to donating blankets and food to natives in various parts of the colony, to assisting native institutions, and to the education of native and half-caste children. Inspectors were appointed, who were required to travel to all parts of the colony, with the object of protecting the aboriginal population. In 1893, resolutions were passed in Parliament inimical to the constitution of the Board, and in 1894 a bill was carried which provided for the abolition of that institution on 1st January, 1895. The Royal assent to this amendment of the constitution was not given. Numerous despatches passed between the Government and the Secretary for the Colonies in 1893 and succeeding years. As the revenue increased, the sum to be paid the Board became altogether larger than its needs demanded, or than it could apply. Thus, in 1897, the rate which the Government is compelled to pay is likely to amount to nearly £30,000 per annum. It is more than probable that the existence of the Board will be terminated before the end of the year.
In December, 1894, two changes in the Ministry took place. Mr. V. E. Marmion, for private reasons, resigned the portfolio of Commissioner of Crown Lands, and he was succeeded by A.R. Richardson, M.L.A. Mr. Marmion had been before the public in Parliament continuously since the introduction or representative government in 1870. During that period he had associated himself with the more progressive spirits in politics. As a responsible minister his administration of the Lands Department, combined with mining matters, helped to maintain the regard which he was previously held. On 4th July, 1896, Mr. Marmion died at Fremantle, at the age of fifty-one years. He was a native of that seaside town, where he first entered public life when twenty-three years of age as a member of the Town Trust, and which he represented under representative and responsible government. His demise called forth expressions of regret from every inhabited part of the colony.
In November, 1894, Sir John Forrest proposed, and afterwards
