GOVEENMENT OF AUSTEALIA. 



393 



cratic, and the two chambers are elected by universal suffrage, applied in such a 

 way as to give a proportional representation to minorities. In New South Wales 

 and the other states the upper house is either entirely or partly named by the 

 Crown. 



According as they grew in power and wealth the Australian colonies felt the 

 need of drawing closer the bonds of union. A fedei^ation, authorised beforehand 

 by the Imperial Parliament, has been projected for the purpose of amalgamating 

 the states under the suzerainty of England, and safeguarding the common 

 interests on the mainland and in the South Sea Islands. But certain questions of 



Eig. 168. — Australian CoLONiEa. 

 Scale I : 44,000,000. 



rivalry and precedence have hitherto prevented the definite constitution of the 

 future federal state of Australasia, which must establish the absolute and perma- 

 nent dominion of the Anglo-Saxon race in the oceanic world, Albury, on the 

 Murray, about midway between Sydney and Melbourne and on the common frontier 

 of New South Wales and Victoria, seems destined by general consent to become 

 the metropolis of the rising empire. In anticipation of its fviture rank it has 

 already been named the " Federal City," although it is still possible that this high 

 honour may fall to the share of another place. 



To the first conference held in 1886 at Hobart, New South Wales, South 

 Australia, and New Zealand had sent no delegates, although the Fiji Archipelago 



