Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/321

 Hon.B.T.Finniss ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 295 Upon the death of Colonel Light, Mr. Finniss, in August, 1839, was appointed Deputy Surveyor-Ger.eral, and subsequently Chief Draughtsman. His next appointment was that of Police Magistrate and Commissioner of Police. On April 28, 1847, Governor Robe appointed him Registrar-Gcmeral and Treasurer, which entitled him to a seat in the old Legislative Council, and was thus employed until 1852, when he was appointed Colonial Secretary. He held this position until the; inauguration of responsible government in 1857. During the interregnum between the departure of Sir Henry Young and the arrival of Sir Richard MacDonnell — from December 20, 1854, to June 8, 1855- he was Acting Governor. Having been the chief officer under the old Constitution, and indefatigable in securing its alteration, it was only natural that he should be commissioned to form the first Cabinet. He assumed office on October 24, 1856, having for his colleagues Sir R. D. Hanson, Sir R. R. Torrens, Mr. Charles Bonney, and Captain Freeling. The Ministry was, however, only short-lived, being superseded on August 21, 1857, by a Cabinc^t formed b- the Hon. John Baker. After 12 days the late Sir R. R. Torrens became Premier. P'our weeks later saw Sir R. I). Hanson in office, and on June 12, 1858, Mr. Finniss became Treasurer in succession to the Hon. lohn Baker, retaining the position until May 9, i860. During the first Parliament he sat in the House of Assembly as one of six representatives for the city of Adelaide, but in the second Parliament he was returned, with Mr. John Dunn, for Mount Barker. Upon the dissolution of the House in October, 1862, he retired from Parliament, nor did he again contest a seat until years afterwards, when he sought to enter the Legislative Council and was defeated. In 1864, when it had been determined to found a settlement in the Northern Territory, the Ayers Government appointed Mr. Finniss its first Government Resident. His actions there not meeting with the approval of the Government, he was recalled. In 1864 Mr. P"inniss was gazetted as entitled to prefix for life his name with the title of "Honorable." In 1875 he was appointed a member of the Forest Board, a position which he held until 1881. In 1876 he acted as Auditor-General during the absence on leave of the late Mr. E. H. Kitchc-n. Mr. P'inniss took a great interest in military matters. He raised the Volunteer Company known as the "Adelaide Marksmen," and afterwards with Major Moore organised a force of 2,000 men under the Act of 1853, becoming Lieutenant-Colonel of the Staff and Inspecting Field Officer. He acted on several commissions to enquire into the defences of the Province. His long connection with public affairs in South Australia enabled Mr. P'inniss to write, and afterwards publish in 1866, a valuable work entitled the "Constitutional History of South Australia." In December, 1893, the Hon. B. T. iMnniss died at Kensington Park, Adelaide. The Register described him as "a man of determined character, varied capacity, and great usefulnes.s, whose sense of duty was never impugned. He was, indeed, one of the finest colonists South Australia has ever possessed."