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Commdy. H. M. Troops
H. M. Troops in Australia and with yourself, I have the honor, on behalf of the Government of Queensland, to request that you will despatch to Brisbane at your earlliest convenience - reinforcements having now arrived at Sydney - the detachment detailed in July last by General Pratt for the defence of this Colony - viz: one subaltern, two sergeants, one drummer, and twenty-five rank and file.
2. Sergeant Green has given entire satisfaction here as Instructor of Volunteers, but it will now be obviously desirable that he should either do duty with the detachment at Brisbane, or rejoin Head quarters at Sydney.
I have &c.
Signed / G. F. Bowen
No. 46
Government House
28th January, 1861
Sir
I have received and laid before my Executive Council, You Excellency's Circular despatch of the 28th ult., respecting a proposal that the Legislatures of all the Australian Colonies, including New Zealand, should be called upon to contribute towards the expenses for the Colonial Allowances and
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and lodging money of the Head Quarters' Staff in this command.
No copy of the despatch to which Your Excellency alludes (Duke of Newcastle to Sir H. Barkly No. 35 of 12th October 1859,) was ever addressed to me.
Indeed the Colonial Office could not fail to be aware that it was not applicable to this Colony; for, although my Government has made repeated applications for a small detachment of Her Majesty's Troops, these applications were refused during the first fourteen months of the political existence of Queensland, on the plea that even a subaltern's party could not be spared from the garrison of Sydney. It is believed that this is the only British Colony of importance that was ever founded and organised without the presence of a single British soldier.
In the course of the present month, the Officer Commanding at Sydney has, by order received from Major General Pratt, sent to Brisbane, a lieutenant of the 12th Regiment, with 25 rank and file. But my Government have received, with some surprise, a letter from the Officer in Charge of the commissariat at Melbourne, enquiring whether the
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His Excellency Governor Sir H. Barkly K.C.B. &c. &c. &c. Victoria
the whole charge of this detachment, (including both the Imperial pay and the Colonial allowances,) is to be defrayed by Queensland. I cannot doubt but that Her Majesty's Government will apply to this Colony the principle applied to New South Wales and Victoria.
The Imperial Contingent maintained in each of those Colonies is understood to be four companies of the line. On the same principle, it is believed that one company should be maintained here - the Colony finding Colonial Allowances &c. on the same scale as in New South Wales.
Until, however, Her Majesty's Government shall have decided finally on the course to be adopted with regard to the Military Protection of this Colony, my Responsible Advisers consider that it would be premature on their part to express any opinion on the question raised in Your Excellency's letter. And I trust that, under the circumstances mentioned above, this view will appear not unreasonable.
I have &c.
Signed / G. F. Bowen
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No. 2
Government House,
20th February, 1861
Sir,
On behalf of the Government of Queensland, I have the honor to forward to you, for transmission, should you deem it necessary, to the Major-General Commanding Her Majesty's Forces in Australasia, a correspondence which has taken place between the Colonial Secretary of this Colony, and Lieutenant Seymour of the 12th Regiment, in charge of the detachment stationed at Brisbane.
2. The Government of this Colony engaged to pay Colonial Allowances to the troops at Brisbane on the same scale as that now sanctioned in New South Wales. However Lieut. Seymour was officially informed in the 4th instant, that during the time he should continue in command of the Military in Queensland, he was authorized to draw the allowance of a Captain, namely, five shillings and eight pence per diem.
3. Lieut. Seymour expressed himself dissatisfied with this arrangement, and claimed (Feb. 6) an allowance of eleven shillings and three pence per diem as "Senior Officer in Command" in this Colony.
4. To this claim the Colonial
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Secretary replied (Feby. 7th and 8th) to the effect that the Executive Council of Queensland would not be justified in advising compliance with Lieut. Seymour's application to be paid at a rate so greatly in excess of the allowance made in New South Wales to Officers of similar rank to his own, that it was necessary to await the sanction of Parliament before countenancing so great an innovation, but that should the decision of the Legislature (at its next meeting) be favorable to his claim, all arrears would of course, be paid him. It was added (Feb. 12th) that there was good reason to believe that Lieutenant Seymour's application was based upon an erroneous impression of the rules of H.M.'s services; and that he had no, real claim for an allowance as "Senior Officer in Command" here; that the Government apprehend that Brisbane not being a garrison, all reports are made to the Regiment, and not to the Head Quarters of the Australian Command, that as a Military Station, Brisbane is at present purely a detachment from a Regiment; and that it requires some staff, or other arm of the service to constitute a garrison, and give a claim for allowance as "Senior Officer
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Lt. Col. Kempt etc. etc. etc. Sydney.
Officer in Command" 5. Lieutenant Seymour, in his rejoinder of the 16th instant disputes the above estimate of his position, and raises questions as to his relations with the Civil Power, which, it is evident, should be authoritatively settled without loss of time. 6. My Government are most anxious to act not only fairly but liberally, by the Officer in Charge of the troops at Brisbane, and if the proper Military Authorities decide that Lieutenant Seymour is entitled to a Colonial Allowance of eleven shillings and three pence per diem, they will do their best to procure the sanction of the Colonial Legislature to the payment of that sum. It will be desirable, however, that they should be enabled to quote the precedent of South Australia, Western Australia, or of some other Colony in a position, with regards to the Military, analogous to that of Queensland; as the Legislature might at first be startled by a proposal to pay on so high a scale a Subaltern Officer in Charge of only 25 men. I have to. Signed / G.F. Bowen.
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page 66 first column No 3.
M.H. Marsh. Esq. M.P. &c. &c. &c.
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Government House, Brisbane, Queensland. 14th March, 1861.
Sir, I have the honor to inform you that, with the advise of my Executive Council, I have appointed you, together with Messrs Alfred Denison, and Arthur Hodgson, to be the [Comminsioners] in London to represent Queensland at the Exhibition of 1862. 2. As Honoray Agent - General for this Colony, you will, of course be Chairman of the Commission, and sole Commissioner, should it be decided that there shall be only one Representative for each Colony. 3. Mr Henry Jordan, our Emigration Agent in England, will act as Secretary to the above Commission. 4. These nominations have been reported to the Secretary of State. 5. The local [Commision] in the Colony are using their best endeavours to secure to Queensland an adequate representation at the Exhibition. You are requested to send them any information or suggestions which may be useful. I have to. Signed / G.F. Bowen.
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No. 4
His Excellency Lt. Col. Kenipt. &c. &c. &c. Sydney.
No. 5
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Government House, Brisbane, Queensland 13th March, 1861.
Sir, I have received and laid before my Responsible Advisers in the Executive Council, your letter of the 5th inst., respecting Lieutenant Seymour's claim to Colonial allowance as "Senior Officer in Command" in Queensland. The Government of Queensland is entirely satiffied with your decision on this case, and desires no further reference, unless you should yourself deem it necessary. I have to. Signed / G. F. Bowen
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No. 5
second column
Government House, Brisbane, Queensland 13th March, 1861.
Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th ult, which I have laid before my Responsible Advisers in the Executive Council of this Colony. 2. The Government of Queensland entirely agree with you in deeming it highly expedient that such a general system as you propose should be adopted
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&c. &c. &c.
adopted for the care, supervision, and maintenance of all military and warlike stores, the property of the Colonial Governments in Australia. If you will have the kindness to communicate to me the details of your plan, when they shall have been put into operation in Victoria, my Government will carry them out in Queensland, so far as may be found practicable.
I have &c.
Signed / G. F. Bowen
No. 6
Government House
19th August, 1861.
Sir,
I received on the 8th inst. your letter of the 20th ult., with its enclosures; and have laid it before my Responsible Advisers in the Executive Council.
In the first place, I feel constrained to point out that Lieutenant Seymour has addressed his Comm.dg Officer on a subject affecting the Civil Government of this Colony, without any previous communication with the Governor. Such a course appears inconsistent with the spirit of the Queen's Regulations; and, is certainly inconsistent with the convenience of
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of Her Majesty's Service; for a Governor can usually give or procure explanations which may obviate many difficulties. As, however, Lieut. Seymour has expressed to me his regret for this part of his conduct, I beg that no special official notice may be taken of it. At the same time, as you, Sir, are so well aware of the somewhat delicate relations which exist between the local Ministries and Legislatures in these Colonies and the Military authorities, you will be able to judge if it be not advisable to issue some General order in your command, pointing out to Officers in charge of any portion of Her Majesty's troops that they should on all occasions communicate not only with their military superiors, but also with the Governor, as the Queen's Representative, on any matter affecting, directly or indirectly, the Civil Government of any of these Colonies.
I enclose a plan of the buildings and ground, a portion of which is occupied by the Military detachment at Brisbane. On enquiry, I have been informed that these buildings were never strictly the property of the Ordnance Department, but belonged to the former Penal Settlement at Moreton Bay. When that settlement was broken up, it is stated that the buildings were