The Legislative Council was the legislature of British Guiana between 1928 and 1953 and again from 1954 until 1961.

History

The Legislative Council was created by constitutional reforms in 1928, which abolished the 22-member Combined Court and replaced it with the 30-member Council. The new Council included an extra eight appointees,[1] and consisted of the Governor, two ex-officio members, eight official members, five unofficial members and 14 members elected in single-member constituencies.[2] The new council met for the first time on 28 November 1928.[2] The first elections were held in 1930 and 1935.

Due to the outbreak of World War II, elections did not happen again until 1947, with the Council elected in 1935 becoming known as the "Long Parliament". Constitutional amendments in 1943 saw the number of appointed members reduced from 16 to 11, giving the elected members a majority. The 1947 elections were held under this system.

As a result of the Waddington Commission, further constitutional reforms were enacted in 1952; universal suffrage was introduced and the Legislative Council was to be replaced by a House of Assembly. The term of the final Legislative Council was extended in order to allow preparations for elections under the new system on 27 April 1953. The Council was dissolved on 8 April 1953.[2]

However, the constitution was suspended on 9 October 1953 and the House of Assembly was prorogued, before being dissolved on 21 December. A wholly appointed Interim Legislative Council was established and met for the first time on 5 January 1954. The Interim Legislative Council had 28 members, including the Speaker, three ex-officio members, four members with portfolio, three members without portfolio, two official members and 15 unofficial members,[2] several of whom had previously been elected members.

The Interim Legislative Council remained in place until it was dissolved on 29 June 1957, after which elections for a new Legislative Council were held on 12 August. It consisted of the Speaker, three official members, six nominated members and 14 elected members.[2]

A new constitution was promulgated in July 1961. It abolished the Legislative Council for a second time, replacing it with a bicameral Legislature including a 13-member Senate and a 36-member Legislative Assembly. Elections to the new Legislature were held on 21 August.

Members

1928–30

PositionMember
Unelected members
GovernorGordon Guggisberg
Colonial SecretaryCrawford Douglas Douglas-Jones
Attorney GeneralHector Archibald Josephs
Colonial TreasurerThomas Millard
Director of EducationWilliam Bain Gray
Inspector General of PoliceWilliam Ernest Horatio Bradburn
Director of Public WorksJohn Cormack Craig
Conservator of ForestsBernard Reader Wood
Colonial Transport Department MDSydney Howard Bayley
Commissioner of Lands and MinesJohn Mullin
Surgeon GeneralWilliam George Boase
Nominated membersArthur Piercy Gardiner Austin
Thomas Traill Smellie
Francis Dias
James Smith
Sydney Howard Seymour
Elected members
Berbice (Senior)Edward Alfred Luckhoo
Berbice (Junior)Albert Raymond Forbes Webber
DemeraraArnold Emanuel Seeram
East DemeraraHubert Chester Humphrys
Georgetown (Senior)Nelson Cannon
Georgetown (Junior)Percy Claude Wight
Georgetown (Other)Joseph Gonsalves
New Amsterdam (Senior)Eustace Gordon Woolford
New Amsterdam (Junior)Joseph Eleazar
North West Essequibo (Senior)Robert Edward Brassington
North West Essequibo (Junior)Stanley McDonald DeFreitas
South East Essequibo (Senior)Robert Victor Evan Wong
South East Essequibo (Junior)Edmund Fitzgerald Fredericks
West DemeraraAlfred Victor Crane
Source: Parliament of Guyana

1930–53

Position1930–351935–471947–53
Unelected members
GovernorEdward Brandis DenhamGeoffry NorthcoteCharles Campbell Woolley
Colonial SecretaryGeorge Douglas OwenEubule John WaddingtonDesmond John Parkinson
Attorney GeneralHector Archibald JosephsHector Archibald JosephsEdgar Mortimer Duke
Colonial TreasurerThomas MillardEdwin Frank McDavidEdwin Frank McDavid
Director of EducationWilliam Bain GrayWilliam Bain Gray
Director of AgricultureJohn Sydney DashJohn Sydney Dash
Comptroller of CustomsWilliam Albert D'AndradeWilliam Albert D'Andrade
Director of Public WorksJohn Cormack CraigJohn Cormack Craig
Colonial Transport Department MDSydney Howard Bayley
Commissioner of Lands and MinesJohn MullinJohn Mullin
Surgeon GeneralPercy James KellyQuirino Bonifacio DeFreitas
District CommissionerMalcolm Buchanan Laing
Nominated membersFrederick Jacob SeafordThomas Traill SmellieFrederick Jacob Seaford
Gilherne Joseph De FreitasMalcolm Burnett Gardiner AustinGeorge Arthur Cyril Farnum
George Earnest AndersonFrancis DiasVincent Roth
Sydney Howard SeymourJoseph Waterton JacksonThomas Theophilus Thompson
Edward Miles WalcottEdward Miles WalcottWilliam John Raatgever
Cramat Ally McDoom
Geoffrey Haward Smellie
Elected members
Berbice RiverJoseph EleazarJoseph EleazarClement Patrick Ferreira
Central DemeraraJohn Ignatius De AguiarJohn Ignatius De AguiarCheddi Jagan
Demerara-EssequiboJung Bahadur SinghJung Bahadur SinghJung Bahadur Singh
Demerara RiverAlfred Victor CraneArthur George KingJoseph Patrick Coghlan
Eastern BerbiceEdward Alfred LuckhooEdward Alfred LuckhooGeorge Mayo Gonsalves
Eastern DemeraraArnold Emanuel SeeramHubert Chester HumphrysDaniel Prabhudas Debidin
Essequibo RiverEdmund Fitzgerald FredericksAlfred Railton Crum EwingTheophilus Lee
Georgetown CentralPercy Claude WightPercy Claude WightJohn Fernandes
Georgetown NorthNelson CannonFrederick Jacob SeafordJacob Alexander Nicholson
Georgetown SouthJoseph GonsalvesJoseph GonsalvesHubert Nathaniel Critchlow
New AmsterdamEustace Gordon WoolfordEustace Gordon WoolfordWilliam Oscar Rudyard Kendall
North Western DistrictVictorine Antonio PiresCharles Ramkissoon JacobWilliam Phang
Western BerbiceAlbert Raymond Forbes WebberPeer BacchusAaron Theophilus Peters
Western EssequiboRobert Edward BrassingtonSydney Howard SeymourClaude Vibart Wight
Source: Parliament of Guyana

References

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