NRS-4543 | Correspondence files [Governor]

These registered files mainly include: Governor's Minutes; correspondence with the Clerk of the Parliaments forwarding copies of acts to be sent to the Secretary of State and copies of despatches to the Secretary of State enclosing these acts; returns of correspondence received and sent; Governor's speech notes; proposals regarding use of Government House and Admiralty House; papers relating to the swearing-in and departure of Governors from 1936 to 1965, etiquette, precedents and protocol, including “Notes about vice-regal occasions”, country trips, Australia's 150th Anniversary celebrations and special events such as Commonwealth (formerly Empire) Youth Sunday, and Remembrance Sunday (formerly Armistice Day). (1) The files also contain papers relating to: War Regulations and National Emergency Services; the Constitution (Amendment) Legislative Council Bill 1932; the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee; the New England New State Movement; the proposed parking station at the Opera House; writs and related papers regarding the election of Senators; audits of the accounts of the Condominium of the New Hebrides; the history of Government House; Coats-of-arms of Governors cut into the walls of Government House; restoration of furniture; and the donation of a chair to Old Government House, Parramatta. This series contains a file dating from about 1902. The files are arranged by annual single number, and have been re-registered on an annual basis. The file dated 1959 to 1961 relates to the Constitution Amendment (Legislative Council Abolition) Bill. The Bill was first introduced to the Legislative Assembly on 12 November 1959, and was reintroduced on 31 of March 1960. However, as the Bill was rejected twice by the Legislative Council, the Governor convened a joint sitting of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council on 20 April 1960 in order to discuss the Bill. The historic joint sitting was boycotted mainly by opposition Members of the Legislative Council, and failed to resolve the deadlock over the Bill. As a result, the referendum to abolish the Legislative Council was held on 29 April 1961, but “was defeated with 57.6% of the formal vote in favour of retention, 1089,193 voting against abolition and 802,512 for.” (2) The file contains correspondence which includes: the Crown Solicitor's opinion of the legality of holding a joint sitting of both houses of parliament; and the opinion of the Attorney General concerning a joint sitting; correspondence from the Legislative Council refusing to attend a joint sitting, correspondence from opposition members and correspondence regarding the result of the referendum. The file also contains copies of Governor's minutes, annotated proofs of the relevant Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Council, proofs of debates from both Houses and the Joint Sitting, proofs of minutes of the Joint Sitting, and newspaper clippings relating to the Bill. (3) Endnotes 1. Concise Guide to the State Archives (Courts of Requests – G): Governor, G, Correspondence with other Governors, Officials and Private Persons. 2. Clune, D and Griffith, G Decision and deliberation: the parliament of New South Wales 1856-2003, The Federation Press, Annandale, 2006, pp. 404-411. 3. Op. cit. Concise Guide to the State Archives (Courts of Requests – G): Governor, G, Correspondence with other Governors, Officials and Private Persons. ReferencesGovernor: Correspondence files, 1933-1972: Correspondence re the Abolition of the Legislative Council of N.S.W, 19591961, SRNSW Ref 12/1456.2, [NRS 4543].How Law is made, and Bills Glossary, New South Wales Parliament Website http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/billsabout, and Bills Glossary - NSW Parliament (cited 2 February 2011).

这些已登记文件主要包含：总督会议记录；与议会书记官的往来函件（内容为转发需送交国务大臣的法案副本，以及附带有上述法案的致国务大臣公函副本）；收发函件回执；总督演讲笔记；关于政府大厦及海军部大厦使用的提案；1936年至1965年总督就职与离任相关文件（涉及礼仪、惯例及礼宾规程（protocol），包括《副王室场合须知》、乡村考察、澳大利亚建国150周年庆典、英联邦青年星期日（前身为帝国青年星期日）、阵亡将士星期日（前身为停战日）等特殊活动）；《战争条例》及国家紧急服务相关文件；1932年《宪法（修正案）立法会法案》相关文件；罗德奖学金选拔委员会文件；新英格兰新州运动相关文件；歌剧院拟建停车场相关文件；参议员选举令状及相关文件；新赫布里底共管地账目审计文件；政府大厦历史相关文件；刻于政府大厦墙面的总督纹章相关文件；家具修复相关文件；向帕拉马塔旧政府大厦捐赠座椅相关文件。

本系列包含一份约1902年的文件，文件按年度单编号排列，并每年重新登记。1959-1961年的文件涉及《宪法修正案（废除立法会）法案》：该法案于1959年11月12日首次提交立法议会，1960年3月31日再次提交；但因立法会两次否决该法案，总督于1960年4月20日召集立法议会与立法会联席会议讨论该法案。这场历史性联席会议遭立法会反对党议员主要抵制，未能打破法案僵局。因此，1961年4月29日举行废除立法会公投，但“公投失败，57.6%的有效选票支持保留，1,089,193票反对废除，802,512票赞成废除”。

该文件包含以下函件：皇家律师关于议会两院联席会议合法性的意见、总检察长关于联席会议的意见、立法会拒绝出席联席会议的函件、反对党成员函件及公投结果相关函件；还包含总督会议记录副本、立法会议事录相关注释校样、两院及联席会议辩论校样、联席会议记录校样，以及与该法案相关的报纸剪报。

尾注
1. 《州档案馆简明指南（请求法院–G类）：总督G类，与其他总督、官员及私人的往来函件》。
2. Clune, D与Griffith, G合著《决策与审议：新南威尔士议会1856-2003》，联邦出版社，安嫩代尔，2006年，第404-411页。
3. 同前引《州档案馆简明指南（请求法院–G类）：总督G类，与其他总督、官员及私人的往来函件》。

参考文献
总督：往来函件文件，1933-1972：关于废除新南威尔士立法会的往来函件，1959-1961，新南威尔士州立档案馆编号12/1456.2，[NRS 4543]。
《法律如何制定及法案术语表》，新南威尔士议会网站http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/billsabout，及《法案术语表–新南威尔士议会》（引用日期2011年2月2日）。