CONSTITUTION AND I A WS. 1 1 



departments, whose presence in the Legislature is, of course, essential 

 to the system of Ministerial government." The acceptance even of 

 one of the latter offices has the effect of vacating the scat of the member 

 accepting it, although he is eligible for re-election.'' Members re- 

 ceive an allowance at the rate of £300 a year,<^ The chief officer 

 of the House is the Speaker, who is elected by the House itself, on the 

 occasion of the assembling of a new Parliament after a general election, 

 or on an intermediate vacar.cy occurring. 



Tine Electoral System. 



The system of Parliamentary representation is now governed by tho 

 Electoral Act of ISOS.'^ This Act establishes in the Colony a uniform 

 system of manhood suffrage, single-member constituencies, equal elec- 

 toral districts, and self -registration of voters. It also attempts to pro- 

 vide additional safeguards against illegal voting and corrupt practices. 



Electoral Districts. 



Under this Act three Commissioners were appointed, whose duty it 

 was to distribute the Colony into 125 electorates, each returniug one 

 member, and each containing, so far as was consistent with practical con- 

 venience, the same number of electors. For this purpose the Commis- 

 sioners were directed to ascertain from the rolls then in force the total 

 number of existing electors qualified by residence, and to divide this total 

 by 125." The result was to give the quota, or proportionate number of 

 electors for each district. This was found, in fact, to amount to 2,513 

 electors. The Commissioners were, however, allowed a margin of 600 

 above or below this quota, Ho enable them to give some consideration 

 to existing boundaries, natural features, lines of communication, and 

 community or divergence of interest." On these principles the Colony 

 was ultimately distributed into eleven city districts, thirty-nine subur- 

 ban districts, and eighty-five country districts. The new system came 

 into operation on the 29th of December, 1893. To guard against future 

 inequality arising from changes in population, the Act requires this 

 distribution to be readjusted on the same principles, and by means of 

 the same machinery, after each decennial census ; whilst it also authorizes 

 a readjustment in the fourth or fifth year after any census, in regard 

 to any part of the Colony where the electoral roll of any district shows 

 an increase or decrease in the prescribed quota of not less than 25 per 

 cent." 



The Parliamentary Franchise. 



The Parliamentary franchise is also regulated by the Electoral Act 

 of 1893. Under this Act every person claiming to vote for any 

 district must be the holder of an elector's right for the district ; must 



^ Constitution Act Amendment Act, 1884. These officials, together with the Vice- 

 President of the Executive Council, constitute the Ministry. 



^ lb, sec. 3. <-■ Parliamentary Representatives Allowance Act, 188f>, sec. 2. __ 

 <! 56 Vic, No. 38 ; to which must Ije added the amending Acts, 57 Vic, Jso. 3, o, \ ic, 

 No. 24, 58 Vic, No. 1. 



<■ Electoral Act, 1893, sec. 17. r , ■ * i * fi 



f Although special reasons had to be given where advantage of this was taken to tne 

 extent of 200 or more. 



s Electoral Act, 1S93, sees. 13, 17. 



