STATEMENT BY COLONEL SEELEY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 143, 16 December 1908, Page 7

STATEMENT BY COLONEL SEELEY.

A SURMISE. (Received December 16, 8.8 a.m.) LONDON, 15th December. Col. Seeley, Under- Secretary for the Colonies, states that he has heard nothing regarding dissatisfaction with the Governor of Queensland's action in granting a dissolution. It was not unfair to surmise that the newspaper paragraph expressing dissatisfaction, was the re suit of confusion of the political and paity issues involved with the Governor's constitutional position. The constitutional dispute occurred rather more than a year ago. Owing to Government legislation being blocked in the Upper House, the Premier, Mr. Kidston, sought the aid of the Labour party, which was refused. He resigned, and Mr. Philp, Leader of the Opposition, was called upon to form a Ministry. He' did so alter some trouble, but was immediately defeated on a motion by Mr. KidstonJ the voting being 37 to 25. In spite of protests by the Labour party and Kidstonians, the Governor (Lord Chelnisford) accepted Mr. Philp's advice, and granted a dissolution. The elections resulted in a sweeping majority against the Philp Government, ana Mr. Kidston returned to power. The Address-in-Reply adopted on the meeting of Parliament virtually amounted to censure of the Governor for acting unconstitutionally, and was so accepted by Lord Chelmsford, who announced his intention of forwarding it to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.