Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council who served from 1856 to 1861 were appointed for a fixed term by the Governor on the advice of the Premier. The 1855 Constitution of New South Wales provided that the first council following self-government was for a period of 5 years from the first appointments, but that subsequent members would be appointed for life. [1] The first appointments were on 13 May 1856 so that the first term lapsed on 13 May 1861. The number of members of the council had to be at least 21 and subsequent appointments also lapsed on 13 May 1861. [2] The President was Sir Alfred Stephen until 28 January 1857, John Plunkett until 6 February 1858 and then Sir William Burton. [27]
The 3 judges of the Supreme Court, Sir Alfred Stephen, John Dickson and Roger Therry were all among the initial appointments to the Legislative Council in 1856. [3] Stephen accepted the position of President and was particularly active in the council, introducing 14 bills, 6 of which were passed by the parliament. Judges sitting in the Council became controversial and Stephen resigned as President on 28 January 1857. [28] Dickinson resigned from the Council on 29 March 1858, Stephen resigned from the Council on 12 November 1858, [28] while Therry continued to sit until after he retired as a judge on 31 January 1859. [29] Therry's replacement on the Supreme Court, Samuel Milford, was not appointed to the Council and Edward Wise resigned from the Council upon his appointment to the Supreme Court.
The term ended in controversy when Charles Cowper and John Robertson attempted to swamp the chamber by appointing 21 new members on 10 May 1861, because the council had rejected the Robertson land bills. [30] When the council met and the new members were waiting to be sworn in, the President Sir William Burton stated that he felt he had been treated with discourtesy in the matter, resigned his office of president and his membership, and left the chamber. 19 other members also resigned in protest. In the absence of the President and Chairman of Committees, under the standing orders the council was adjourned until the next sitting day. [31] There were no further sitting days before the terms of the members of council expired.
Name | Years in office | Office |
---|---|---|
Arthur A'Beckett [a] [az] | 1856β1860 | |
John Alexander [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
George Allen [a] | 1856β1861, 1861β1877 | Chairman of Committees |
George Wigram Allen [ax] | 1860β1861 | |
Lyttleton Bayley [aj] | 1859 | Representative of the Government (23 February 1859 β 8 April 1859) |
Alexander Berry [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Isidore Blake [aa] | 1858β1859 | |
William Bland [x] [bb] | 1858β1861 | |
James Bligh [a] [am] | 1856β1859 | |
Henry Bloomfield [a] [s] | 1856β1857 | |
Edward Broadhurst [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Sir William Burton [q] [be] | 1857β1861 | President (9 February 1858 β 10 March 1861) |
Alexander Busby [c] [v] | 1856β1858 | |
James Byrnes [bd] | 1861 | |
William Byrnes [ag] | 1858β1861, 1861β1891 | |
John Campbell [a] [e] | 1856, 1861β1886 | |
James Comrie [a] | 1856β1861 | |
Charles Cowper [au] | 1860 | Colonial Secretary (9 March 1860 β 15 October 1863) |
William Dalley [bd] | 1861, 1870β1873, 1875β1880, 1883β1888 |
|
John Dawson [bd] | 1861 | |
William Day [bd] | 1861 | |
John Dickinson [a] [ab] | 1856β1858 | |
John Dickson [j] [as] [bd] | 1856β1859, 1861 | Representative of the Government (30 August 1859 β 28 September 1859) |
Joseph Docker [c] [be] | 1856β1861, 1863β1884 | |
Henry Douglass [m] | 1856β1861 | |
William Dumaresq [a] [b] | 1856 | |
Geoffrey Eagar [ap] [ba] | 1859β1860 | Representative of the Government (27 October 1859 β 8 March 1860) |
William Faithfull [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Robert Fitzgerald [c] | 1856β1861, 1861β1865 | |
George Forbes [y] | 1858β1861 | |
James Giles [bd] | 1861 | |
George Graham [bd] | 1861 | |
William Hardy [bd] | 1861 | |
John Hargrave [aq] | 1859β1861, 1861β1865 |
Representative of the Government (12 October 1859 β 26 October 1859) (9 March 1860 β 15 October 1863) |
William Hellyer [bd] | 1861 | |
Edward Hill [bd] | 1861 | |
George Hill [c] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Rowland Hill [bd] | 1861 | |
George Holden [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1861β1863 | |
Thomas Hood [g] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Edward Hunt [y] | 1858β1861 | |
William Innes [bd] | 1861 | |
Robert Isaacs [p] [be] | 1857β1861 | |
Robert Jenkins [a] [ar] | 1856β1859 | |
Robert Johnson [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1863β1866 | |
David Jones [c] [av] | 1856β1860 | |
Edward Knox [a] [r] | 1856β1857, 1881β1894 | |
John Lamb [q] [be] | 1857β1861 | |
Andrew Lang [z] | 1858β1861 | |
George Leary [bd] | 1861 | |
Robert Lethbridge [a] [t] | 1856β1857 | |
Francis Lord [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1864β1892 | |
Alfred Lutwyche [i] [ak] | 1856β1859 |
Representative of the Government (12 September 1856 β 2 October 1856) (19 November 1857 β 21 February 1859) |
John MacFarlane [ag] | 1858β1861, 1861β1870 | |
William Mayne [g] [h] | 1856 | Representative of the Government (6 June 1856 β 25 August 1856 ) |
John McNamara [g] [ao] | 1856β1859 | |
Francis Merewether [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1861β1865 | |
James Mitchell [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1861β1869 | |
Jacob Montefiore [a] [aw] | 1856β1860, 1874β1877 | |
James Murphy [bd] | 1861 | |
James Murray [d] [f] | 1856 | |
James Norton [j] | 1856β1861 | |
Francis Oakes [ax] | 1860β1861 | |
George Oakes [bd] | 1861, 1879β1881 | |
Alexander Park [ac] [be] | 1858β1861, 1868β1873 | |
William Pennington [x] [an] | 1858β1859 | |
John Plunkett [n] [u] | 1857β1858, 1861β1869 | President (29 January 1857 β 6 February 1858) |
Alexander Portus [bd] | 1861 | |
Henry Prince [x] [be] | 1858β1861 | |
Charles Richardson [bd] | 1861 | |
Campbell Riddell [a] [ai] | 1856β1858 | |
Charles Riley [i] [ad] | 1856β1858 | |
John Robertson [bc] | 1861, 1861, 1878β1881 | Secretary for Lands (9 March 1860 β 15 October 1863) |
Ralph Robey [x] | 1858β1861, 1861β1864 | |
Bourn Russell [ag] | 1858β1861, 1861β1880 | |
Henry Smith [a] [af] | 1856β1858 | |
William Spain [k] [ae] | 1856β1858 | |
Sir Alfred Stephen [a] [ah] | 1856β1858, 1875β1879, 1879β1885, 1885β1890 |
President (20 May 1856 β 28 January 1857) |
James Taylor [bd] | 1861 | |
Roger Therry [a] [al] | 1856β1859 | |
Edward Deas Thomson [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1861β1879 | Representative of the Government (3 October 1856 β 7 September 1857) |
George Thornton [bd] | 1861, 1877β1891 | |
Robert Tooth [a] [o] | 1856β1857 | |
Robert Towns [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1863β1873 | |
James Walker [a] [l] | 1856 | |
John Waller [bd] | 1861 | |
Randolph Want [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Alexander Warren [a] [w] | 1856β1858 | |
John Williams [bd] | 1861 | |
James Wilshire [x] [ay] | 1858β1860 | |
Edward Wise [p] [at] | 1857β1860 | Attorney General (27 October 1859 β 13 February 1860) |
Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council who served from 1856 to 1861 were appointed for a fixed term by the Governor on the advice of the Premier. The 1855 Constitution of New South Wales provided that the first council following self-government was for a period of 5 years from the first appointments, but that subsequent members would be appointed for life. [1] The first appointments were on 13 May 1856 so that the first term lapsed on 13 May 1861. The number of members of the council had to be at least 21 and subsequent appointments also lapsed on 13 May 1861. [2] The President was Sir Alfred Stephen until 28 January 1857, John Plunkett until 6 February 1858 and then Sir William Burton. [27]
The 3 judges of the Supreme Court, Sir Alfred Stephen, John Dickson and Roger Therry were all among the initial appointments to the Legislative Council in 1856. [3] Stephen accepted the position of President and was particularly active in the council, introducing 14 bills, 6 of which were passed by the parliament. Judges sitting in the Council became controversial and Stephen resigned as President on 28 January 1857. [28] Dickinson resigned from the Council on 29 March 1858, Stephen resigned from the Council on 12 November 1858, [28] while Therry continued to sit until after he retired as a judge on 31 January 1859. [29] Therry's replacement on the Supreme Court, Samuel Milford, was not appointed to the Council and Edward Wise resigned from the Council upon his appointment to the Supreme Court.
The term ended in controversy when Charles Cowper and John Robertson attempted to swamp the chamber by appointing 21 new members on 10 May 1861, because the council had rejected the Robertson land bills. [30] When the council met and the new members were waiting to be sworn in, the President Sir William Burton stated that he felt he had been treated with discourtesy in the matter, resigned his office of president and his membership, and left the chamber. 19 other members also resigned in protest. In the absence of the President and Chairman of Committees, under the standing orders the council was adjourned until the next sitting day. [31] There were no further sitting days before the terms of the members of council expired.
Name | Years in office | Office |
---|---|---|
Arthur A'Beckett [a] [az] | 1856β1860 | |
John Alexander [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
George Allen [a] | 1856β1861, 1861β1877 | Chairman of Committees |
George Wigram Allen [ax] | 1860β1861 | |
Lyttleton Bayley [aj] | 1859 | Representative of the Government (23 February 1859 β 8 April 1859) |
Alexander Berry [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Isidore Blake [aa] | 1858β1859 | |
William Bland [x] [bb] | 1858β1861 | |
James Bligh [a] [am] | 1856β1859 | |
Henry Bloomfield [a] [s] | 1856β1857 | |
Edward Broadhurst [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Sir William Burton [q] [be] | 1857β1861 | President (9 February 1858 β 10 March 1861) |
Alexander Busby [c] [v] | 1856β1858 | |
James Byrnes [bd] | 1861 | |
William Byrnes [ag] | 1858β1861, 1861β1891 | |
John Campbell [a] [e] | 1856, 1861β1886 | |
James Comrie [a] | 1856β1861 | |
Charles Cowper [au] | 1860 | Colonial Secretary (9 March 1860 β 15 October 1863) |
William Dalley [bd] | 1861, 1870β1873, 1875β1880, 1883β1888 |
|
John Dawson [bd] | 1861 | |
William Day [bd] | 1861 | |
John Dickinson [a] [ab] | 1856β1858 | |
John Dickson [j] [as] [bd] | 1856β1859, 1861 | Representative of the Government (30 August 1859 β 28 September 1859) |
Joseph Docker [c] [be] | 1856β1861, 1863β1884 | |
Henry Douglass [m] | 1856β1861 | |
William Dumaresq [a] [b] | 1856 | |
Geoffrey Eagar [ap] [ba] | 1859β1860 | Representative of the Government (27 October 1859 β 8 March 1860) |
William Faithfull [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Robert Fitzgerald [c] | 1856β1861, 1861β1865 | |
George Forbes [y] | 1858β1861 | |
James Giles [bd] | 1861 | |
George Graham [bd] | 1861 | |
William Hardy [bd] | 1861 | |
John Hargrave [aq] | 1859β1861, 1861β1865 |
Representative of the Government (12 October 1859 β 26 October 1859) (9 March 1860 β 15 October 1863) |
William Hellyer [bd] | 1861 | |
Edward Hill [bd] | 1861 | |
George Hill [c] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Rowland Hill [bd] | 1861 | |
George Holden [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1861β1863 | |
Thomas Hood [g] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Edward Hunt [y] | 1858β1861 | |
William Innes [bd] | 1861 | |
Robert Isaacs [p] [be] | 1857β1861 | |
Robert Jenkins [a] [ar] | 1856β1859 | |
Robert Johnson [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1863β1866 | |
David Jones [c] [av] | 1856β1860 | |
Edward Knox [a] [r] | 1856β1857, 1881β1894 | |
John Lamb [q] [be] | 1857β1861 | |
Andrew Lang [z] | 1858β1861 | |
George Leary [bd] | 1861 | |
Robert Lethbridge [a] [t] | 1856β1857 | |
Francis Lord [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1864β1892 | |
Alfred Lutwyche [i] [ak] | 1856β1859 |
Representative of the Government (12 September 1856 β 2 October 1856) (19 November 1857 β 21 February 1859) |
John MacFarlane [ag] | 1858β1861, 1861β1870 | |
William Mayne [g] [h] | 1856 | Representative of the Government (6 June 1856 β 25 August 1856 ) |
John McNamara [g] [ao] | 1856β1859 | |
Francis Merewether [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1861β1865 | |
James Mitchell [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1861β1869 | |
Jacob Montefiore [a] [aw] | 1856β1860, 1874β1877 | |
James Murphy [bd] | 1861 | |
James Murray [d] [f] | 1856 | |
James Norton [j] | 1856β1861 | |
Francis Oakes [ax] | 1860β1861 | |
George Oakes [bd] | 1861, 1879β1881 | |
Alexander Park [ac] [be] | 1858β1861, 1868β1873 | |
William Pennington [x] [an] | 1858β1859 | |
John Plunkett [n] [u] | 1857β1858, 1861β1869 | President (29 January 1857 β 6 February 1858) |
Alexander Portus [bd] | 1861 | |
Henry Prince [x] [be] | 1858β1861 | |
Charles Richardson [bd] | 1861 | |
Campbell Riddell [a] [ai] | 1856β1858 | |
Charles Riley [i] [ad] | 1856β1858 | |
John Robertson [bc] | 1861, 1861, 1878β1881 | Secretary for Lands (9 March 1860 β 15 October 1863) |
Ralph Robey [x] | 1858β1861, 1861β1864 | |
Bourn Russell [ag] | 1858β1861, 1861β1880 | |
Henry Smith [a] [af] | 1856β1858 | |
William Spain [k] [ae] | 1856β1858 | |
Sir Alfred Stephen [a] [ah] | 1856β1858, 1875β1879, 1879β1885, 1885β1890 |
President (20 May 1856 β 28 January 1857) |
James Taylor [bd] | 1861 | |
Roger Therry [a] [al] | 1856β1859 | |
Edward Deas Thomson [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1861β1879 | Representative of the Government (3 October 1856 β 7 September 1857) |
George Thornton [bd] | 1861, 1877β1891 | |
Robert Tooth [a] [o] | 1856β1857 | |
Robert Towns [a] [be] | 1856β1861, 1863β1873 | |
James Walker [a] [l] | 1856 | |
John Waller [bd] | 1861 | |
Randolph Want [a] [be] | 1856β1861 | |
Alexander Warren [a] [w] | 1856β1858 | |
John Williams [bd] | 1861 | |
James Wilshire [x] [ay] | 1858β1860 | |
Edward Wise [p] [at] | 1857β1860 | Attorney General (27 October 1859 β 13 February 1860) |