AUSTRALASIA. 



Sr, 



that the elaboration of 



Should DOC br 



should give it tbrtr direct mo***. They 



1^ IfcOwitWvfte Itf^ A* I ill f I 



should be convened, iu memb 



iToMII rsessss,oi LlOUttW \ na III 



of ,: 



ttJOft tons; Western Australia, i:,7 ..^ w 



5JB99 tons ; Tasmania, 226 vessels, of 19,41*' 



New /rain 



I.I. . .it ion. The first legal 

 federal u he Austral- 



*..*!. eolonisj **- ,,,. oreatfca at .-. Men] 

 Council as the rwult raolonial 



ence. An enabling act having been obtained 

 from the Imperial Parliament, all the ooloniff, 

 with the exception of New South Wale*. 



to the I ,.1,-ral ....iicil. whiclb in. t at Hobart, 

 Tasmania. 111 January. I8N6. A* ration 



South Australia was represented also. The 

 Council m a purely deliberative body, with no 

 power to legist** .- mat ten 



lonial parliaments, Th which has 



justify 



tence except as a symbol of a more com- 

 tion. A conference of represent 



Australasian colonies, held at Mel- 

 bourne in February, 1890, resolved in fa\ 



il Australasian convention empowered to 

 consider and report upon an adequate scheme 

 for a federal const it til ion. Tin ri was 



approved by the colonial lc- 

 ejected delegates, 7 from each colony except 

 N 



met at Sydney on March 2, 1891. and drafted 

 a eommonwealtl i plan for 



the union of the colonies under a goveroor- 

 general. and a federal parliament, con-i- 1 

 a senate and a pn^-ntnt 



responsible ministry and a federal judiciary. 

 its to be submit!.. I to the colonial legis- 

 r the action of 

 I'arliami i 



i ' irliaiiient and fussed 

 '.oue. with some amendment*. In 



.- its main principle- r. 



the sanction of u*th h-n- 1898. 



It was* i' at various tinier in th- 



an -1 thev have delaved forming a 

 .hit ion. 'The ardent' advocate* of 



ttrliamentary method of procedure 

 of result*, 'orfniniietl in l an 

 Australatiian Federation I^-ainn*. which in Janu- 

 wnnl a new programme. The 

 in brnnch of the league proposed that 

 the constitution of the federation S - i '. 

 drafted by a popular convention and subt 

 to the direct vote of the people of the coloniea. 

 iles federationists agreed 

 VOL. xxxv. 5 A 





ambers to be el 

 by the colonial parliamenta. and to this body of 



? should be it 

 ofworfcing out the detail, of the Constitution to 



t the electors of the colonies 

 A conference of the premiers of all the Ana- 

 tralasian colonies met on Jan. 29. 1896. .. 

 bait, where the Federal Council was hold 

 session, to consider the beat means to bring 

 about federation. They approved the simpler 

 t ions Victorian plan. Declaring 

 that thev regarded federation as the creat and 

 piws^qMsioi n. asjstnlsjsa ,- /. v ,, 



.., . , 



representative* of each colony shall be directly 

 chosen by the electors and be charged * 

 duty of framing a federal constitution; that 



ution so framed be sobmittri 

 electors for acceptance or rejection by direct 

 that such constitution, if accepted by 

 three or more colonies, shall be submitteUto the 

 Queen with an address from the peill isjiili of 

 the colonies, praying for the 

 tive enactment ; and that a bill be 

 the parliament of each 



When three or mor 



their members to the convention, the governor* 

 of those coloniea shall summon the conven- 

 tion. The members shall be elected under the 

 ordinary elective franchise for members of the 

 Legislative Assembly. When a constitution 

 shall have been framed, the convention shall 

 aljouni for thirty to aixty days to allow iu pro- 

 visions to be criticised, and then reassemble for 

 iU final adoption. It shall then be referred to 

 the direct vote of the electors, and if it is ac- 

 cepted by as many as three colonies they shall, 

 u' the sanction of the Imperial Gov- 



mn.^., / .^l.vitVi AaKl;k f-.l-J-j , - , -- 



erniiieiii. lonnwiin rwaoiivQ imvnM gwww* 



Provision is made for the entrance of 



Zealand into the federation. 

 Th.- 



tion in favor of proceeding with the 

 ation of the commonwealth bill by the Anstrala- 



which Sir John 



sian |varliamenU.the 

 ^t. Premier of W. 



adopted also n 

 eral 



The 



companies, the fed- 

 >r Kian subscriptions, and 

 the establishment of a federal quarantine. 



Womanhood Suffrage.- In New Zealand 

 women were admitted to the parliamentary 

 franchise in 1896. A European of either sex 

 ne years of agv has the right to 



.: ^ .,'.-,- 



vote if qualified by 



ami three months in the district before 

 rv,nst ration, or by the poasessi. 

 estate of the value of 35. Womei 

 can not be members of either branch 

 Legislature in this colony. On Jan. 15. 1898, 



ci*lature of South Australia Biassed the 

 adult suffrage bill, which not only confers upon 



