State Government of Tasmania beginning 26 February 1857 - period in office of Premier Gregson, Thomas George ending on 25 April 1857
Period in office of premier (see Glossary entry for 'period in office' and related terms)
Parliamentary support during period
Coalition partner 1
Number of ministers at beginning of period (this may vary during the period)
Assembly elections contested as premier or after which became premier (see Glossary entry for 'after election')
This premier did not win office as the result of an election, and was not (or has not been) in office long enough to contest an election as premier ; see 'Period in office' table above.
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Notes
Resignation of premier (Champ): Beginning of Gregson's period in office: Champ 'resigned after a vital amendment to his finance bill was carried [the reduction of the Governor's salary]. Governor Young, probably with misgivings, commissioned the mover of the amendment, Thomas George Gregson, in the absence of an organised party system, to form a government', Reynolds, p. 116, (see 'References', below).
Defeat in parliament (Gregson): Gregson's government 'was defeated soon after it met the House by a motion of no-confidence proposed by the Anti-Transportation Leader, William Pritchett Weston', Reynolds p. 117, (see 'References', below). Both Green and Newman suggest that the motion prompting the no-confidence vote was one of censure; (see Green, and Newman, 'References', below).
References: For a description of the style of parliamentary government in this period, see John Reynolds, 'Premiers and Political Leaders', in F C Green (editor), Tasmania: A Century of Responsible Government 1856-1956, pp 115-192, (Hobart: L G Shea, Government Printer, [1956]), and note Terry Newman, Tasmanian Premiers 1856-1988: A Biographical Handbook, (Hobart: Tasmanian Parliamentary Library, [1988]).
For a survey of Gregson's career, see F C Green, 'Gregson, Thomas George (1798-1874)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, pp 475-476, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1966), on line at: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010438b.htm.
Sources
'Ministries: Names of the Members of Successive Ministries which have held Office in Tasmania since the inauguration of Responsible Government, together with the Dates of Appointment and Retirement', Journal of House of Assembly, Second Session of the Forty-Fifth Parliament of Tasmania, Anno LIII and LV Eliz II; Session 2 of the 45th Parliament, Volume 251, 2004-2006, (Hobart: Government Printer, Tasmania).