Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/157

 The Producers ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 131 nervous. The general danger seemed to lodge in the belief that responsible Ministers could accomplish anything and everything. Previously the Governor was expected to be the personification of such economic wisdom ; but with autonomy his powers w(re curtailed and rendered chiefly negative, so that public acts could no longer be spoken of as the acts of the Governor. The first Parliament, which met in April, 1857, was were something more than garrulous in debate. Their estate practically every settled part and class of the Province. Thc^ sufficiently important to demand the most serious attention, of public works, an Education Bill, and a Waste Lands Pill. 1 was narrowly averted. amended a Bill passed by out a clause providing ping dues. Attempts were between the Upper House which J. P. Stow has the Constitution, he creature of a statute." that it was a breach cf to modify any Money ensued, committees were business was delayed. A arrived at, under which Council might ".suggest" should the Assembly, return any Money Bill to sideration, the latter might RicHARu Daviks Hanson exceedingly busy. Members s and experience represented Government programme; was It proposed the construction n the first session a deadlock The Legislative Council the Assembly, and struck for the repeal of ship- made to draw analogies and the House of Lords, characterised as absurd, declared, being " the The Assembly asserted privilege for the Council Bill. Lengthy debates appointed, and ]niblic compromise was finally it was arranged that the amendments, and that unheeding the suggestions, the Upper House for recon- either accept or reject it. For several years parliamentary government was distinguished by frequent changes of Ministry. There seemed at first to be some difficulty in choosing a body of Ministers who held the confidence of a substantial majority of the House. The Finniss Government was principally composed of members of the old Executive. On August 20, Mr. B. T. P'inniss, after being defeated on two or three occasions, gave way to Mr. John Baker, whose Government continued in existence for but 11 days. Mr. R. R. I orrens then became Premier, but 29 days later he was succeeded by Mr. R. D. Hanson, a cle-er lawyer, who retained the political confidence of the country for nearly three years. Mr. R. D. Hanson, who was born in .St. Botolph's Lane, London, in 1805, had helped to popularise in England Mr. E. G. Wakefield's principles as applied to the proposed colonisation of South Australia. After this he was a reporter and writer for the London J2