AUSTRALASIA. 



63 



from the first influx of miners into the Coolgardie Sir E. X. C. Braddon : Chief Secretary. W. Moore: 

 district in the early months of 1894 has kept pace Treasurer, r. < >. F\>h ; Attorney-General, A. .]. 

 with the production in the Transvaal in the two Clark: Minister without portfolio, Thomas Beibey 



'iai succeeded the first rush of gold seekers Minister of Lands and Works. A. T. i'illinger. 

 in iss<5. In the tun years that followed the rich New Zealand. The legislative power is 

 finds in Coolgardie the popul; lion more than in the Governor and the General Assembly. The 

 doubled. The Newcomers, as the mining adven- latter consists of the Legislative Council! which 

 turers are called, numbered 40.000 in the beginning has 45 members, formerly appointed for life, but 

 of !*!<>. and were increasing at the rate of 20.000 a since 1891 for seven years," and the House of Repre- 

 year. nearly all adult males, clamoring for political seiitatives. which is composed of 74 members, in- 

 riglits and control of the public funds as in the chiding 4 Maoris. Women vote on the same foot- 

 S'uith African Republic, for through their enter- ing as men, but can not become members of either 



the revenue had much more 



than doubled and all industries $&?& 



were greatly stimulated. A differ- 

 t ween the Minister of Mines 

 and the Newcomers, who in March, 

 IS'.id. had increased to 30.000 in 

 Coolgardie alone. _ irding 



the rules for the transfer of mining 

 claims. This was temporarily ad- 

 justed by a compromise. Under 

 the increased demand for the trans- 

 port of mining machinery the rail- 

 way department broke down and 

 a block of traffic occurred early in 

 1896. At the same time there was 

 a block of the telegraph lines 

 owing to a rush of business beyond 

 their capacity. When Mr. Venn, 

 the Minister of Railways, was 

 called upon to explain the failure 

 of his department, he attributed it 

 to the failure of the Premier to 

 sanction estimatesfor rolling stock. 

 He was thereupon requested to re- 

 sign, and on his refusal was dis- 

 by the Governor in March. 

 1896, and Mr. Piesse was appointed 

 Minister of Railways and Public 

 Works. The railroad from South- 

 ern Cross to Coolgardie was ex- 

 tended with the utmost rapidity, 

 and was opened on March 23. An 

 extension to Kalgoorlie was be- 

 gun, and before June an extension 

 to Hannans was completed. A 

 railroad line to Menzies and Ka- 

 nowna was authorized by Parlia- 

 ment, which assembled on July 7. 

 A line from Mullewa to Cue was 

 rapidly constructed and an exten- 

 sion of it to Nannine was author- 

 ized. 



A scheme for enlarged represen- 

 tation in the House of Assembly 

 of the new mining centers was ap- 

 proved by Parliament, increasing 

 the number of members to 43. 

 Of this number 13 represent the 

 gold fields. The same constitu- 

 tional amendment added 3 mem- 

 bers to the Legislative Council, 

 making the total number 24. 



Tasmania. The Parliament 

 consists of a Legislative Council 

 of 18 members, elected by citizens 

 possessing a freehold worth 20 a year or a lease- 

 hold worth SO a year, or belonging to the legal or 

 medical profession, or having an academic d> a 

 The members of the House of Assembly are elected 



A KUYARI DWELLING, NEAR PORT MORESBY. NEW GUINEA. 



house. Qualifications for electors are a residence 

 of at least one year in the colony and three months 

 in the district, or the possession of a freehold prop- 

 erty worth 25. For Maoris of either sex the 



in 37 districts by all who have resided' over a year property qualification is required. At the general 



in the colony and own or occupy some property or election of 1803 there were 302.997 electors enrolled, 



have 60 income. of whom 193.536 were men and 109,461 women. 



The Governor is the Earl of Gormanston. ap- The Governor is the Earl of Glasgow, appointed 



pointed in 1803. The Cabinet in the beginning of in 1892. The ministry at the beginning of 1896 



1896 consisted of the following members : Premier, was composed of the following members : Premier, 



