Rev. John Higgins This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Dictionary of Australian Biography Hi-Hu

   gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-di - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/2/2008   Last Visited: 2/2/2008

   His, father, John Higgins, was a Methodist minister, whose wife, Anne Bournes, was the well-educated daughter of a county Mayo landholder.
   ...
   In December 1885 Higgins was married to Mary Alice Morrison, daughter of Dr George Morrison of Geelong, and a sister of "Chinese" Morrison (q.v.). A year was spent travelling in Europe and America, and when he returned in January 1887 he found himself leader of the equity bar, two of his seniors having become judges. He began to take an interest in the Melbourne university, was elected to its council in 1887, and sat on it for 37 years. He was not of a speculative nature and kept out of the land boom during the 1880s; in 1892 he made his first effort to enter parliament at Geelong. He was defeated but won the seat in 1894, and at once began to show interest in social legislation. He was a student of Henry George and inclined to free trade, but realized the difficulties of a young country trying to establish secondary industries. An inquiry into sweating led to his feeling the necessity of limiting the hours of labour even of people working by themselves, and he fought for the shops and factories act, which was the precursor of much legislation aimed at helping the worker. Words like conciliation and arbitration were in the air and the federation movement was growing. At the election for delegates to the convention of 1897-8 Higgins was one of the 10 selected to represent Victoria. At its meetings he tended to find himself in the minority and even opposed to his fellow Victorians. The principal point of difference arose from his belief that the provision for amending the constitution was inadequate. Time has possibly proved him to be right, but what he could not realize was that if no risks were taken federation might become impossible. During the campaign which followed he fought against the bill. In 1900 he published his Essays and Addresses on the Australian Commonwealth Bill, and was again in the unpopular camp when he opposed sending a contingent to the Boer war. This probably led to his losing his seat at Geelong in November 1900, but when federation was established he was elected for the North Melbourne seat in the house of representatives. He took an early opportunity of moving that the Commonwealth should acquire full powers for Australia as to wages and hours and conditions of labour. The motion was passed, but the opposition of the separate states prevented Australia being treated as a unit in economic matters. When Watson's (q.v.) Labour government came into power in 1904 Higgins was offered and accepted the position of attorney-general.
   ...
   Higgins was a tall, rather slight man quiet and reserved in manner. He was interested in young people and in those who appeared to have the scales weighted against them. It would give a wrong impression to say that he had a brilliant mind; it would be nearer the truth to say that he had an honest and powerful mind always seeking the whole truth. His powers of work were enormous and this alone enabled him to get through the work of the arbitration court. A man of great integrity, he found it difficult to compromise or be a party man; one writer after his death went so far as to say that in "the game of politics he expected each party to keep in step with him". His opposition to the original federation bill, however, served the good purpose of having some of its defects removed, and when it became law he realized that the only thing to do was to be loyal to it. He remains one of those austere figures who, without attracting great popular affection or a following, do much work for their country of very great value.

2. 2. PROMISES

   www.uucob.org/sermons/promises - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/13/2003   Last Visited: 6/7/2005

   What happens at a Promise Keeper rally was reported by John Higgins, a UU minister.
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   In retrospect, Rev. Higgins was most concerned with the total lack of democratic process.