The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-25
AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

Some Features of the Federal
Constitution.
The Federal Convention in Australia
has been sitting some weeks and the
work on the new constitution is pro-
crossing rapidly. The present plan in
cludes an executive to be called Gov
ernor General and appointed by the
Queen. Each colony is to retain the
power of administering local affairs
and enacting local laws. There is to
be Federal Parliament, composed of
a Senate and House of Representatives.
and all control over the tariff taxes
and over military and naval affairs is
to be vested in this Parliament Trade
among the several colonies is to be
as free as among the several States of
the American Union; but the fedora
ton will be at liberty to impose what
tariff il pleases upon imports.
The Mackay Standard speaks of the
work of the convention and the con-
stitution as follows:
Out of 40 clauses in the bill of 1891.
only fifteen are likely to be amended
in any vital way These are three
clauses dealing with the constitution
of the Senate, which will be recast; al
sotwo regarding the constitution of the
House of Representatives. one about
the allowance to members, two deal
ing with money bills and the powers
of the Senate. and regarding the con-
troll of the railways, three touching fin
ancial arrangements, the debts of the
colonies, and the distribution of the
Federal surplus, and two relating TO
equality of trade, and dealing with
amendments of the constitution. There
is a possibility that judiciary clauses,
embodying a modified form of referen-
dunn, in order to solve possible dead
locks, may be added to the bill FEEDER
alton will be under the Crown, and the
Governor-General will not be elective.
There is a majority of about two to
one in favor of equal representation of
the States in the Senate. but in return
for this concession by the four larger
States, it is urged by some that it will
be necessary for the smaller States to
agree to the powers of the Senate be-
ing materially curtailed in regard to
money bills.
The feeling of the delegates is de-
cidedly in favor of the responsible
government Inc provision OF the Dill
of 1891 to elect Senators by the Houses
of Parliament is now hardly spoken
of, the experience of the leading col
onies in the election of the members of
the present convention having been so
satisfactory as to give prestige to the
system of each colony electing it's Sen
ators direct as one electorate. 1t is
probable also that the basis of election
to both Houses of the Federal Parlia-
ment will be one-man-one-vOte. The
provisions of the draft bill of 1891 Will
be closely adhered to in regard to the
powers of the Senate to deal with
money bills. Laws relating TO the dis
posal of any part of the public revenue,
or amending any tax or impost, will
have TO be originated in the House of
Representatives and, supposing that
responsible government is provided
for (and this appears to be foregone
conclusion), the Senate will necessari
ly be deprived of the power of interior
ing with appropriation bills. The seat
of the Federal Government is certain
to be left to the decision of the Federal
Parliament.