The session of 1887, though less fruitful than the three preceding sessions, was by no means barren. Twenty-one bills were passed, one of which made provision for a contribution to the British New Guinea civil list. The Divisional Boards Bill, which had been laid aside by the Council in 1886, was reintroduced. The taxation clauses were this year embodied in a separate bill—the Valuation Bill—and both measures became law. An Electoral Districts Bill was also passed, increasing the number of members of the Assembly to 72. No change has since been made in the representation of the State. The passage of this bill was urged as a reason for not passing the Australasian Naval Force Bill, the Opposition contending that no important legislation should be attempted after Parliament had agreed to a redistribution of seats, and Sir S. W. Griffith was in this way prevented from giving legislative force to the agreement which he had drafted, and which was passed into law in all the other colonies before its author finally succeeded in securing its passage in Queensland in the year 1891. The session closed in December, 1887, but the Assembly was not dissolved until four months later.
THE TENTH PARLIAMENT: 12th June, 1888-5th April, 1893.
The tenth Parliament opened on 12th June, 1888, and the Griffith Ministry gave place to that of Sir Thomas McIlwraith. Only ten public measures were passed, however, exclusive of appropriations. The struggle of the session arose on the Customs Bill, imposing protectionist duties, and increasing the complexity of the tariff. On entering Parliament in 1874, Mr. Macrossan had earnestly demanded, on behalf of the Northern miners, effectual anti-Chinese legislation, but the attitude of the Imperial Government compelled the Queensland Parliament to proceed warily. In 1877 an Act was passed requiring the master of any ship to pay £10 for each Chinese passenger landed, and forbidding more than one to every 10 tons burthen, a penalty of £10 being imposed in each case of breach. In 1884 the number to be introduced was further restricted to one Chinese for each 50 tons, with a landing payment of £30, and £30 penalty for each landed in excess of the prescribed number. In 1888 the representatives of the various Australasian Governments met at Sydney, as, owing to the unwillingness of the Imperial Government to give the Royal assent to the legislation desired, there was doubt as to whether a measure passed by an individual colony would be assented to. The conference agreed to a bill, and the Queensland Parliament passed it in 1888, but it did not become law until February, 1890. It placed the limitation at one Chinese passenger to every 500 tons registered, made the penalty on the master £500 for every Chinese landed in excess of the number, and, in default of payment, twelve months' imprisonment, and £100 for a master failing to report at the Customs. For failure to supply a correct list of Chinese passengers the master rendered himself liable to a penalty of £200 for each act of default, and £30 for permitting Chinese to land without payment of the landing tax. A Chinaman landing illegally, either overland or by ship, was himself liable to a penalty of £50, and, in default of payment, to six months' imprisonment. A comprehensive Railways Act was passed, its main object being to entrust the control of the railways to three Commissioners. The other measures were not of permanent interest.
The session of 1889, under the Morehead Administration, was more productive. The Totalisator Restriction Act was among the measures passed, as was also the Trustees Act. The Civil Service Act, which embodied superannuation provisions on the basis of a 4 per cent. contribution from salary, was passed, but the superannuation sections were repealed in 1894 chiefly because of the representations of junior officers who alleged that the system was unjust. The Payment of Members Act repealed the Members' Expenses Act of 1886, and under it members were paid an annual salary of £300. The session was also notable by reason of the passage of the Defamation Act, introduced by Sir S. W. Griffith as a private member, by which journalists were relieved of the Algerine law under which their profession had previously been carried on.
The session of 1890 was marked by the formation of the Griffith-McIlwraith Ministry, and the passing of twenty-seven Acts, many of importance, one of them being the Married Women's Property Act. The dividend duty was first imposed in this session, and sketching fortifications was made a penal offence; but the more important measures of this year are elsewhere noticed.
In the session of 1891 a comprehensive Water Authorities Act, which is still in force, became law. An Act permitting solicitors to do work for their clients by agreement was passed, as was also an Act for the better protection of women and girls. In all thirty-eight measures, many of them of a legal character, became law in this session. The one of greatest importance was the Australasian Naval Force Act, to which allusion has already been made.
In 1892 thirty-nine Acts were passed, among which was one for the treatment and isolation of lepers; others provided for strengthening the law penalising bakers for selling bread under weight; for subsidising railway construction by grants of land; for the establishment of harbour boards, and the levy of harbour dues; for penalising the publication of indecent advertisements; for making a person accused of an indictable offence and the wife or husband of such accused person a competent but not a compellable witness for the defence; for raising the Chief Justice's salary to £3,500 with a view to securing the services of Sir S. W. Griffith; for reducing the payment of members of the Assembly to £150 per annum; and for taxing the receipts of totalisators on racecourses, a duty being imposed of sixpence in the pound of money passed through the totalisators. A new principle in rabbit legislation was introduced by an Act encouraging pastoral lessees to destroy the pest by granting them an extension of their leases as compensation for their outlay. The Pacific Island Labourers (Extension) Act reversed the decision of Parliament in 1885, and permitted the reintroduction of islanders for work in the sugar industry. The recruiting continued from this date until terminated by the Commonwealth legislation of 1901. This session proved a very long one, the Houses sitting from March till November.
THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT: 26th May, 1893-22nd February, 1896.
The eleventh Parliament was opened on 26th May, 1893, Sir Thomas McIlwraith being then Premier. A Ministerial crisis was produced on the Railway Border Tax Bill, which imposed a duty of £2 10s. per ton on every bale of Queensland wool taken across the border. Ministers tendered their resignations, but the Governor, Sir Henry Norman, declined to accept them. In a minute read in the Assembly, His Excellency expressed the opinion that the vote in question did not constitute a vote of want of confidence in Ministers, and he gave it as his belief that on most questions of importance likely to arise they would have the support of a substantial majority of members of the Assembly. Consequently Sir Thomas McIlwraith continued in office, and both Houses passed the bill. It was a retaliatory measure against the New South Wales Railway Commissioners because of the preferential rates conceded by them to draw traffic to Sydney that legitimately belonged to Brisbane. The Meat and Dairy Produce Act became law in this year; also the Sugar Works Guarantee Act, and the Co-operative Communities Land Settlement Act, which proved an utter failure in spite of the passing of amending Acts in the two succeeding years. Various financial measures noticed elsewhere were also passed, these last being rendered imperative by the banking crisis which then paralysed industry and commerce. At the end of the session, Sir Thomas McIlwraith's health failing him, he retired from the Premiership, which was taken by Sir Hugh Muir Nelson.