11 / 25
ing that the mining tawns dominated the
voting. Even before the establisiiment of
responsible government the chief seaport
was ably represented at the Councils of
State. Mr. William Scott, one of the elect
ed members of the Legislative Council in
the days when some of the members were
nominated and others elected, sat for Port
Adelaide. Mr. Scott was one of Port Ade
laide's pioneer merchants and successful
business men. He assisted in passing the
Parliament Bill of 1853, which was disallow
ed by the Queen, and on a special Council
being summoned in 1855 to frame a new
Con^itution Mr. Scott, Mr. J. B. Hughes,
who resided at AVoodville, amd Mr. John
Hart, the first miller of the town
and the owner of Glanville Hall,
were members. Later-day Porto-
nians who are fond of thinhing of
their district as the stronghold of demo
cracy may well cherish the names of some
of their early members, who fought for
dearly held principles. The members who
comprised the special Council were evident
ly required to possess a "stake" in the
country, for the declaration made by Mr.
Scott set out that he was "seized at law or
in equity for an estate or freehold of the
value of £2,000. situated at Maclaren
Wharf, Port Adelaide, and being a ivare-
Jioase." At the first election in
Port Adelaide prior to the granting
of responsible government, Messrs. Hall
and Giles were candidates. Idie former
gentlemain was a brother of the late Mr.
Anthony Hall, and an uncle of Mr. A. P.
Hall, the miller. In
tho.sedays the rival
candidates were distinguished by different
colours, those of Mr.Hall being blue, while
Mr. Glle.9 chose orange-and-green. The
first Parliament under responsible go
vernment met in 18o7, and Port
Adelaide was represented by Messrs. E. G.
Collinson and J. Hart, and some of the
subsequent but still early members were
Messrs. W. Owen, P. B. Coglin, J. W.
Smith, W. Qnin, H- K. Hughes, and D.
Bower. It is only of recent years that a
record of the early open-voting days has
been destroyed. The majority secured by
one of tlie candidates, 166, was painted on
the wall of the Port Admiral Hotel,and for
many years when tlm building was reno
vated the figures were freshly painted in.
Compared with some of the early contests
Parliamentarv elections at the seaport con
stituencies nowadays arc tame. A fav
ourite meeting-place was the Old Exchange
Hotel, the Town Hall not being construct
ed till the latter part of the
sixties. "Fighting men" for the various
candidates used to be regarded almost as
indispensable, and very likely more useful
than the modern "political platform" with
reversible planks, and the young bloods of
the place had warm times during elections.
It is stated that on one occasion a candi
date with a particularly glib tongue and
sufive manner was addressing a crowded
meeting at the Old Exchange. The table
had been converted into an improvised
platform. It suddenly occurred to an indi
vidual of rather exceptional strength, re
joicing in the nickname of "Bulloeky Bill,"
that there was room for a practical joke.
Quietly creeping under the table, be suc
ceeded in tipping Chairman and candidates
off into the crowd. This little by-play was
taken humorously. Later on the same
evening the candidate of many words invi
ted questions of all matters touching cur
rent politics.
"I should like to ask you one question
—only one," said a small man known for
his fund of dry wit.
"Certainly," unsuspectingly replied the
candidate.
"Well, then, I should like the candidate
to tell us"—then followed an ominous pause
—"what he has been talking about for the
last tliree-quarters of an hour."
In an instant the little man was pounced
upon, and true as pellet from small boy's
catapult, out he went through the window,
carrying part of the sash with him. This
was the signal for a free fight. The sup
porters of the rival candidate rallied their
forces, converted the passage of the hotel
into a Laing's Nek, and cleared the room
of their opponents. Those times have, how
ever, disappeiared with the Old Exchange.
Port Adelaide sent the firct distinctively
working man member to Parliament in Mr.
William Quin. With regard to the ad-
ministiatioia of the law, as far as can be as-
cert.Tiued from early records. Inspector Tol-
mer and Sergeant Lorrimer were the
first stationed officers in charge of the