60 



AUSTRALASIA. 



was practical agreement. With respect to the 

 powers to be accorded to the legislative houses, 

 the smaller colonies were desirous of making the 

 authority of the upper house as large as possi- 

 ble ; in regard to the tariff to be maintained by 

 the federation against the world, Victoria wished 

 the rates fixed high, to protect its industries, 

 while New South Wales was in favor of a low 

 tariff ; and on the question of the right of appeal 

 from the Federal Supreme Court to the Judicial 

 Committee of the Privy Council in London, Vic- 

 toria and New Zealand would preserve this link 

 binding them to the mother country, which the 

 other strong colonies wished to sever. Whether 

 the new nation should adopt the principles of 

 the Canadian Constitution or the truer federal 

 theories on which the United States are consti- 

 tuted was the main subject of difference, and this 

 was practically decided when it was agreed that 

 the name of the confederation should be, not the 

 "Dominion," but the Commonwealth of Aus- 

 tralia, by 26 votes to 13, this title indicating fur- 

 thermore the prevalent aspirations for national 

 independence. Sir George Grey, a delegate from 

 New Zealand, who has formerly been governor 

 under the Crown of various colonies, moved that 

 the governor-general should be elected by the 

 people ; but this proposition, which the Imperial 

 Government would be certain to reject, was neg- 

 atived by the majority of 35 to 3. The draft 

 constitution was amended in minor particulars 

 only during its discussion by the committee of 

 the whole. It was adopted by a unanimous vote 

 on April 9. After agreeing to a motion recom- 

 mending the parliaments of the individual colo- 

 nies to call special conventions for the ratifica- 

 tion of the Constitution as framed, and to one 

 requesting the Imperial Government, as soon as 

 any three colonies should adopt the Constitution, 

 to take the necessary steps to establish it in those 

 colonies, the convention dissolved. When the 

 act establishing the Commonwealth of Australia 

 comes into force, which will be six months after 

 its adoption by the Imperial Parliament, the 

 governors of the individual colonies will no 

 longer be nominated by the Imperial Govern- 

 ment, but will be appointed in such manner as 

 the Parliament of each state of the Common- 

 wealth shall direct. The Federal Council will 

 cease to exist. The main provisions of the bill 

 adopted by the Federation Convention are as fol- 

 lows: 



The colonies will be called States. The Legislature 

 will consist of the Queen, a Senate, and a House of 

 Kepresentativcs. The Governor-General will be ap- 

 pointed by the Queen at a salary of not less than 10,- 

 000 a year. 



The Senate will consist of eight members from each 

 State, chosen by the Parliaments of each State for six 

 years, half retiring every three years, and the Presi- 

 dent of the Senate will be chosen by the Senate itself. 

 He will have a vote on every measure, and when 

 there is a tie vote the measure is lost. 



The House of Representatives will be elected every 

 three years by the people of the several States in pro- 

 portion to their population on a basis of one member 

 for every 30,000 inhabitants, the minimum number of 

 members for each State to be four. The Speaker will 

 be chosen by the House, and will have the casting 

 vote when the votes are equal. 



The members of both houses will receive 500 each 

 per annum. No member <fcan hold an office of profit 

 or trust under the Crown, *but ministers will not be 



compelled to offer themselves for re-election on ap- 

 pointment. 



The Parliament of the Commonwealth will have 

 power to make laws on any of the following subjects : 



(1) The regulation of trade and commerce with 

 other countries and among the States ; (2) customs- 

 excise, and bounties ; (3) the raising of money by any 

 other mode or system of taxation, but taxation must 

 bo uniform through ou' the Commonwealth ; (4) the 

 borrowing of money on public credit ; (5) the postal 

 and telegraphic services; (6) military and naval de- 

 fenses; (7) navigation and shipping; (8) ocean bea- 

 cons, buoys, light-houses, and light-snips ; (9^) quaran- 

 tine; (10; fisheries; (11) census and statistics; 12) 

 currency, coinage, and legal tender; (13) banking, 

 the incorporation of banks, and the issue of paper 

 money; (14) weights and measures; (15) bills of ex- 

 change; (16) bankruptcy and insolvency; (17) copy- 

 rights, patents, and trade marks; (18) naturalization 

 and aliens ; (19) the status of foreign corporations and 

 those formed within Australia; (20) marriage and 

 divorce; (21) the service and execution of civil pro- 

 cess, and the judgments of the courts of one State in 

 the other States ; (22) the recognition of the laws, rec- 

 ords, and judicial proceedings of the various States: 

 (23) immigration and emigration; (24) the influx of 

 criminals; (25) external affairs and treaties ; (26) the 

 relations of the Commonwealth to the islands of the 

 Pacific; (27) river navigation with respect to the 

 common purposes of two or more States; (28) the 

 control of railways with respect to transport for the 

 purposes of the Commonwealth ; (29) matters referred 

 to it by the Parliament of any State, but such law 

 only to extend to the State or States by whom the 

 matter is referred and such as afterward adopt such 

 law; (30) the exercise of legislative powers with re- 

 spect to the affairs of Australia which are at present 

 exercised only by the Imperial Parliament or the 

 Federal Council of Australia ; (31) the manufacture 

 of munitions of war ; (32) matters necessary for carry- 

 ing into execution the foregoing powers. 



Parliament will also, subject to the provisions of 

 the Constitution, have power to make laws necessary 

 for peace, order, and good government with respect to 

 the following matters: (1) The affairs of people of 

 any race regarding whom it is deemed necessary to 

 make special laws not applicable to the general com- 

 munity, but this power is not extended to the aborig- 

 ines of Australia or the Maoris of New Zealand ; (2) 

 the government of any territory surrendered by any 

 State for the seat of government or other purposes ; 

 _(3) matters relating to departments of the public serv- 

 ice transferred to the Executive of the Common- 

 wealth. Laws appropriating revenue or imposing 

 taxation must be sent down by message of the Gov- 

 ernor-General to the House of Representatives. The 

 powers of the Senate will be co-ordinate with those 

 of the Lower House, except with regard to appropria- 

 tion and taxation bills, which the Senate may affirm 

 or reject, but not amend. Laws imposing taxation 

 shall deal with taxation only, and, with the exception 

 of customs and tariffs, with only one subject. Money 

 bills of a general character must not be tacked on to 

 appropriation bills; and in the case of bills which 

 the Senate may not amend, it may return the same to 

 the Lower House with a message requesting it to omit 

 or amend any item ; and the Lower House may, on re- 

 ceiving such message, if it thinks fit, make such 

 omissions or amendments. The Governor-General's 

 assent is required for all measures, and he will have 

 the power of reserving any measures for the Queen's 

 approval. Her Majesty in Council may disallow any 

 bill within two years after its receipt. 'The executive 

 power vested in the Queen will be exercised by the 

 Governor-General, advised by a Council of seven 

 ministers, who may sit in either house ; 15,000 to be 

 set apart for the payment of the ministers, who will 

 constitute the Federal Executive Council and be the 

 Queen's ministers of state for the Commonwealth. 



The Governor-General will be the commander-in- 

 chief of the military and naval forces. The Execu- 



