| Abstract: | This article traces the evolution of the address in reply to the speech from the throne, from its origins in the early 18th century, showing how it developed from a device for bringing about a community of interest between government and parliament while at the same time providing a focal point for rallying the opposition. It describes how the address became an echo of the speech, often drafted at the same time as the speech itself. Its management involved a good deal of organisation. The terms of the address had to be drafted, the movers and seconders selected and the terms communicated to government supporters. The meetings arranged for this purpose gradually became less exclusive to the point where they were superseded by dinners given by the leaders of the two Houses. In the course of time they were mirrored by dinners given by the leaders of the opposition who eventually managed to secure copies of the speech, thus assisting them to formulate amendments to the address. In the 19th century the procedure for considering the address was reformed with a view to curtailing debate but without success. While the address may have lost something of its symbolic significance, the debates to which it gives rise remain significant features in the timetables of both Houses. |
