1.-8,

14

Memobandum by Me. Speaker. The questions raised by the correspondence remitted to the Committee, and the action taken by the Government, or proposed to be taken by it, and upon which the opinion of the Committee needs to be expressed, appear to me to be the following, viz.: — 1. What officers are to be regarded as "officers of the House" within the meaning of the resolution of 1862 (vide Journals, House of Bepresentatives, page 116) ? 2. As regards such officers, should the mode of appointment in that resolution referred to continue in operation, or should it be departed from ? 3. If the Serjeant-at-Arms, Interpreters, Committee Eeporters, and Hansard reporters are not held to be included in the foregoing, then, should the precedents which have obtained under previous Speakers be followed or departed from ? 4. With whom is to rest the right of dismissal or suspension for dereliction of duty? 5. Under whose control are the officers to be during the recess ? 6. Is it expedient that the services of any of them should be at the disposal of the Government during the recess ? 7. By whom should the Legislative estimates be prepared in the first instance ? If by the Speaker's department, then, — 8. What course should be followed in the event of the Government not approving of any item or items ? 9. As regards the mode of appointing, and the control of the officers, is it expedient to lay this down, as in Victoria, by statute ? In connection with queries 1, 2, 3, and 4, I have prepared a precis of the documents of the office, showing in what manner the appointments to the several offices have hitherto been made. The resolution of 1862 (vide Journals, page 116) lays down "that the Clerks and other officers of the House of Eepresentatives should be appointed by the Executive on the recommendation of the Speaker, with the exception of the First Clerk-Assistant, who, acting as the Clerk of Committees, should be similarly appointed on the recommendation of the Chairman of Committees. Since that date, until the recent appointments made to the Hansard staff by the Government, all appointments appear to have been made by the Governor upon the Speaker's recommendation (in the case of the First Clerk-Assistant with the concurrence of the Chairman of Committees), or by the Speaker direct. The following is, I think, a complete list: — Mr. Friend, appointment as Clerk-Assistant in 1864, made by the Governor on the recommendation of the Chairman of Committees. Appointment as Clerk of the House, 15th October, 1889, made by the Governor on the recommendation of Sir G. M. O'Eorke, Speaker. Mr. Otterson, original appointment as Eeader, 25th October, 1872, made by Sir F. D. Bell, Speaker, absolutely. Mr. Otterson, appointment as Second Clerk-Assistant,* 3rd August, 1875, made by the Governor, on recommendation of Sir F. D. Bell, Speaker. Mr. Otterson, appointment as Clerk-Assistant, 13th November, 1889, made by the Governor, on the recommendation of Sir G. M. O'Eorke, Speaker, and Mr. Hamlin, Chairman of Committees. (Vide Sir G. M. O'Eorke's letter of 15th October, 1889, and Mr. Cooper's letter of 13th November, 1889.) Mr. Eutherfurd, original appointment as Clerk of Bills and Papers (subsequently Eecord Clerk), 12th August, 1879, made by Sir W. Fitzherbert, Speaker, absolutely. Mr. Eutherfurd, appointment as Second Clerk-Assistant, 14th February, 1890, made by the Governor, on the recommendation of Sir G. M. O'Eorke, Speaker. Mr. Grace, appointment as Interpreter, 19th November, 1877, made by Sir William Fitzherbert, Speaker, absolutely. Mr. Carroll and Mr. Hadfield, appointments as Interpreters, 7th November, 1879, made by Sir G. M. O'Eorke, Speaker, absolutely. Mr. F. S. Hamlin, appointment as Interpreter, 12th July, 1883, made by Sir G. M. O'Eorke, absolutely. Mr. Grey and Mr. Parkinson, appointments to Hansard staff, 20th May, 1879, made by Sir W. Fitzherbert, Speaker, absolutely. Mr. Montrose, appointment as Committee Beporter, 21st June, 1879, made by Sir W. Fitzherbert, Speaker, absolutely. Mr. Berry, appointment as Committee Beporter, 12th July, 1883, made by Sir G. M. O'Eorke, Speaker, absolutely. Captain Mair, appointed Interpreter by Sir G. M. O'Eorke, Speaker, absolutely. Mr. Kinsella, appointment as Committee Beporter, 7th August, 1884, made by Sir G. M, O'Borke, Speaker, absolutely. Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Kennedy, appointments as Committee Beporters, 13th May, 1886, made by Sir G. M. O'Eorke, Speaker, absolutely. Captain Deck, as Serjeant-at-Arms, in 1854, by the Governor, in response to a resolution of the House. Mr. Edward Mayne, as Serjeant-at-Arms, in 1858, by the Governor, on the recommendation of Sir Charles Clifford, as Speaker. Dr. Greenwood, as Serjeant-at-Arms, in 1865, on the recommendation of Sir D. Monro, as Speaker.

• In connection with this appointment, it may be noted that the question of stamp duty arose, and it was decided that duty was not properly payable, on the ground that " the Second Clerk-Assistant was not an officer of the General Government." (Vide letter from Stamp Office, Bth October, 1875.) The duty was therefore refunded. (Vide letter dated 15th October, 1875.)