The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-21

privileges At present the whole of the
 electoral power is absolutely in the
 hands of the people, the humblest colo mist, not a habitual criminal, possessing the franchise, provided certain condi-
 tons of registration and residence are compiled with. Practically all the
 points of the peoples charter" with
 the exception of annual Parllaments,
 the general elections taking place every three years, have been adopted ln
 Australia, the colony of South Austra-
 lia going step further by legallzlng the principle of ''one adult one Yote,' thereby extending the franchise to
 women; yet there has been no de- terioration in the conduct of pubic business, no legislation of purely class character, and none or the maladminlstration too frequently asso- ciated with democratic rule. However
 much Australian legislators may ditter from each other in political matters, they are as body, as high-minded ana
 public-s spirited as any class of parlla- mentarians in the whole world. In the mother colony as in the others, the sovereign is represented by a governor selected by the imperial authorities, and all laws are enacted in the name Of
 the queen, "by and with the advice Of the legislative council of the legislative assembly," the governor, as the royal deputy, giving the assent of the sover- eign immediately to acts of Parliament, or reserving them for the consideration of tbe CD if ha chnI1l1 think fir
 Tine colonial legislature consists of the governor, the legislative council and the legislative assembly. The legisla-
 tive council of not less than twenty-one
 members, who are appointed by the governor on the advice of the executive council The present number is sixty eight of whom one-fourth constitute quorum. There are certain personal qualifications, but no property qualifl
 cation. Four-ifths of the members at least must consist of persons not hold
 ing any office of profit under the crown.
 Subject to certain provisions as to the vacating of seats and resignation, mem-
 bers hold office for life. The legislative assembly consists of one hundred and twenty-five elective members of whom twenty, exclusive of the speaker, con- stitute quorum. Members are sub- ject to certain qualifications, of which, perhaps, the most important ls that which excludes any person holding an office ot profit under the crown, with the exception of the chiefs of the nine great administrative departments ac- ceptance of even one of the latter offices having the effect of vacating the seat of | the member accepting it, although he is | eligible for reelection. Members re- ceive an allowance at the rate of three hundred pounds year. The chief of ficer of the house is the speaker, who is elected by the house itself, on the oc- casion of the assembling of new par l liament after general election, or on an intermediate vacancy occurring. ! The elections are based upon a uniform system of manhood suffrage, single member constituencies, equal electoral l q stricts, and self-registration of voters with safeguards against illegal voting and corrupt practices. The voting is l by ballot, and there are no public nonli- 1 nations with the accompanying show of l hands The nominations are simply sent in to the returning officer, who, in 1 the event of a contest. makes the ne-
 cessary polling arrangements. For the
 purposes of administration, the public | business of the colony is distributed be-
 tween nine different departments, each of which is presided over by responsi-
 ble minister, as head, and worked by a
 staff of permanent officials These
 ministers are: The colonial secretary l colonial treasurer, attorney general
 secretary for lands, secretary for public
 works, minister of justice. minister of
 public instruction, secretary for mines
 and agriculture and postmaster gene
 ral The functions of the departments respectively presided over by these min-
 isters are fixed partly by statute and 1 partly by executive minute. The min-
 isters or political heads of these depart ments are technically appointed by the governor alone, but are really selected
 OH the recommendation of the politica | leader who may be invited by the gou-
 ernor to form an administration and
 who yappears to possess the confidence
 of the legislative assembly; they also
 retire or are dismissible from office or