LETTER, ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY TO SEPTIMUS BURT RE APPOINTMENT ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL

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Smith, Matthew Skinner

1886

Overview

Cover letter dated 30th March 1886 from Matthew Skinner Smith, Acting Colonial Secretary, to Septimus Burt accompanying a Commission to be a member of the Executive Council of WA and a Warrant for the position of Acting Attorney General.
Letter handwritten on single sheet of cream paper using official printed stationary from the Western Australian Colonial Secretary's Office, Perth dating from the 1880s. The paper has a vertical bi-fold and the letter is written on the front page and on the first inside page to the left of the fold.
Burt accepted Governor Broome’s invitation to act temporarily as Attorney General after the abrupt resignation of Alfred Peach Hensman (following accusations of impropriety). Burt stayed on in the role until September 1886. George Leake then stepped in as legal advisor until the new Attorney General arrived. Charles Warton (former member of the House of Commons, London) was appointed Western Australia's Attorney General in October and arrived in Perth on 30 November 1886.

Historical information

Matthew Skinner Smith, Acting Colonial Secretary, Perth 1885-1887 - author

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-46-1976.52

Item type

Documents

Material

Ink

Width

205 mm

Height or length

335 mm

Contextual Information

This is a cover letter informing Septimus Burt of an enclosed Commission appointing him provisionally as a member of the Executive Council of Western Australia and a Warrant appointing Burt provisionally as Attorney General. The appointment was a consequence of a feud between Governor Broome and Attorney General Hensman and is associated with a turbulent era in West Australian politics. The letter is complete and in original condition.

The Honourable Septimus Burt KC (1847-1919), son of Sir Archibald Paull Burt, was born in St Kitts Island (formerly known as St Christopher in the West Indies) and came to Western Australia in 1861. S Burt became a prominent lawyer, politician and grazier. His political work was central to the achievement and development of the Western Australian constitution as the first Attorney General after self-government was achieved. The Hon Septimus Burt rejected knighthood and offers to be a Supreme Court Judge.

Keywords

Smith, Matthew Skinner

Burt, Septimus

Attorney General

Executive Council Of Western Australia

Hensman, Alfred Peach

Place made

Australia

Year

1886

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance