THE LATE HON JOHN DOUGLAS
The death of the Hon John Douglas says the Brisbane Courier removes from
the public life of Queensland one who, by reason of his natural intellectual
gifts, his educational attainments, his wide experience of men and affairs, and
his well balanced and essentially fair mind, was eminently qualified for a
leading part in building the institutions of a young country. To the traits
mentioned add honesty of purpose and honourable, even chivalrous, character,
and we have a fair view of the mental side of the Hon John Douglas.
Physically he was a fine, robust specimen of the Anglo-Saxon-alert, active,
enduring. His face revealed his generous nature. His brow, dignified in later
years by an abundance of silvered, waving hair, was that of' a man of noble
instincts. There was in him and about him always a calm dignity and courtesy
which, however estimable in the eyes of his private, friends, did not help him
in the rough and tumble fighting of political life. It was said that he was not
a born political leader in that he was not a fighter. Those who knew John
Douglas, privately and closely would put the expression thus; He was not a born
political leader, because he always fought in the open,-and his blows were
never below the belt. He was not personally aggressive, did not possess the
aggressiveness (that pursues and belittles), and it is no secret to those who
watched Queensland political developments in the late seventies that his lack of
that very quality led to the selection of another leader of the old Liberal party.
Practically upon that came the retirement of Mr. Douglas front political life. But
he had done the state good service; he had served in the old Legislative
Council of New South Wales when Queensland had not yet been established ns a
separate colony, and from 1863 until 1879 he held a prominent place in the political
life of the state.
Mr Douglas during his political career was responsible for the first
blow struck at unrestricted Chinese immigration to Queensland. His Government
passed an Act, designed to check the flood of Chinese to the Palmer goldfield
and other portions of the state. The Royal assent to the measure was withheld,
but Mr. Douglas was not content to accept that as the last word on the subject.
He imposed upon ships coming from China ports certain quarantine regulations, and
that administrative act was found quite effective. Later on the legislation,
much ns we find it today, met with the Royal assent. With this exception, Mr. Douglas's
tern ns Premier, from 8th March 1877, to the 21st January, 1879, was not marked
by any strong policy; but for that there were other reasons than his lack of
creative instinct. Mr. Douglas had gathered np the threads of the Macalister
and Thom Administrations, and it was evident was fully occupied in holding the
ground for his party until the general elections. Though not credited with
having originated any other big political movements, Mr. Douglas was a good,
sound administrator, whose honour was never impugned; and whose natural alertness
and mental power prevented him from I making serious mistakes.
Since his retirement from active political life he gave ample proof of his
capacity in the management of men. He lived for many years in the outposts of
this country and in New Guinea, administering tho laws given him to meet cases,
and using his own discretion whore no laws existed - when savage people had to
be dealt with -and there has been no occasion upon which his judgment, his tact,
or his broad sense of right and wrong has been questioned. Away in the great
gateway that leads to and from the East, Mr. Douglas has had under his care, a
community as diverse as one would meet at Port Said, and at times the elements
were bitterly and openly contentious. Again, he has had to deal with
aboriginals whose instincts to plunder and murder are well known ; again, with
employers of aboriginals - white men and yellow - whose natures were lower and
more devilish than the savages employed : again, with the natives of New Guinea
and the intervening islands lying between the Queensland coast and that of the
Possession. Can any one point to an instance of lack of capacity on the part of
the Government Resident (or High Commissioner) in handling the difficult
material which makes up the population on the fringes of Torres Straits. Has
there ever been a display of temper or tyranny; On the other baud, the
Government of the state and of the Empire in so far as it was entrusted to the
Hon. John Douglas been carried out in a lofty and practical spirit, with
firmness, but with kindness, with unflinching justice, yet with patience.
The Hon. John Douglas was for some years on the literary staff of the
"Courier" and "Queenslander" as a leader writer. That was
after his retirement from politics and before taking up his appointment as
Government Resident at Thursday Island. It was chiefly in those days that the
present writer, working in the same, room with Mr. Douglas learnt to appreciate
his high intellectual qualities, to know the warmth and kindliness of his
nature, to fully realise his benevolence in dealing with the weaker side of humanity.
Mr. Douglas carried into his literary work the polished style which
characterised his public speaking, but he was in the nature of things more concise
and therefore more effective as a writer than a speaker. In Parliament and on
public platforms Mr. Douglas was more remarkable as a pleasant speaker, dipping
his eloquence from a "well of purest English undefiled" than as a
forceful critic or advocate. As a writer he was, perforce, restricted to space,
and his ideas put in the concrete form often sparkled.
For much of the following we are indebted "Meynell" and Wend
and Co.s "Queensland.'' The Hon. John Douglas, C.M.G., B.A., son of Henry
Alexander Douglas and Elizabeth (Dalziel) his wife, was bor in Loudon on the 6th
of March 1828. He was a nephew of the 4th and 5th Marquises
of Queensberry. He was educated at Rugby and Durham University and emigrated to
New South Wales in 1851. Received an appointment as Gold Fields Commissioner,
which he gave up to enter pastoral pursuits. He sat a member for Darling Downs
in Sydney before Separation, and afterwards for Camden in the New South Wales Parliament.
In 1863 he settled in Queensland and entered the Legislative Assembly for Port
Curtis. In February 1866 he joined the Macalister Ministry, and was Postmaster
General from March to July of that year. He was called to the Legislative Council
the same year but some months later he was appointed Treasurer, and re-entered
the Assembly as member for the Eastern Downs. Again he resigned, and led for the
Government in the Legislative Council. In May 1867 Mr. Douglas resigned the Treasurership
and took up the portfolio of Secretary of Works until the following August. On the 25th of November 1868, the late Sir Charles
Lilley came into power at the head of a Liberal Government and Mr. Douglas in
December; took office as Postmaster-General, amongst his colleagues being
Macalister, T. B. Stephens and St. Ceorge Gore. In November, 1869, he resigned on
accepting the post of Agent-General for Queensland, which he held until 187,
when he returned to the state, and was elected in 1875 for Maryborough. In June,
1876 Mr. Douglas accepted office as Secretary for Lands in the Thorn Government,
which was an offshoot of the Macalister party. In this Cabinet were Sir S. W. Griffith,
Sir J. R. Dickson. Mr. R. M. Stewart, and Mr. C. S. Mein. On the 8th
of March 1877, Mr. Thorn resigned, and the Premiership fell to Mr. Douglas, who
led a really strong combination against a strong and active Opposition led by
Sir Thomas Mcilwraith. In the following year he exchanged the portfolio of
Secretary for Lands for that of Home Secretary. He led the Government until the
21st of January 1879, when his party was defeated in the general election, and
Sir Thomas Mcilwraith's Administration succeeded to power.
Subsequent to the assumption of a protectorate over a portion of New Guinea
by the British Government Mr. Douglas
was a candidate for the office of High Commissioner, but the position was given
by the Imperial Government to Sir Peter Scratchley, R.E. Mr. Douglas became Government
Resident at Thursday Island in April. 1885, and on the death of Sir Peter Scratchley
he was appointed Special Commissioner for British New Guinea, which, post he
held for nearly three years after the sovereignly of Great Britain was proclaimed.
In 1889 he returned to Thursday Island as Government Resident and Police Magistrate.
The long residence in the far North seemed to impair the constitution of
Mr Douglas very little, but in 1902 he was able to take a long holiday, during the
term of which he visited England and the Continent and returned to Queensland, as
he described it in his cheery way, "in splendid fettle.'' Early in the
present year he visited Brisbane from Thursday Island, and it was then noticed by
his friends that he did not appear quite so robust as on his return from
England but his mental brightness and energy were in no way impaired. Age was,
however, levying its charges on his reserve of strength, and the White Horseman
coming, as he comes to all, delivered the great message, and the faithful servant
of the public went to his rest.
The Hon. John Douglas leaves four sons. The eldest, Edward, is a barrister
and has served as associate to Sir S. W. Griffith and Mr. Justice Power. He is
now practising his profession in Brisbane The second son, Henry, is manager of Mr
Bowden’s business at Thursday Island and with him is the third son, Hugh. The
youngest, Robert, who is spoken of as a young man of high intellectual promise,
is at Sydney University and is intended for the Bar.
