The Portland daily press., 1898-09-17
GOVERNMENT IN AUSTRALIA.
How the Colonies There are Admins
tered.

tered.
(From John Plummer's Australian Cor
respondence.)
The movement in favor of Australian
federation has naturally directed public
attention to the system on which each OF
| the antipodean colonies is at present gov
erned. When, on July, 1856, less that half
century ago,ssa constitution was granted
to New South Wales, making, by the
granting of equal privileges, the colonists
the equals Of their countrymen in other
parts of the empire, the ties which bound
| the colony to the empire were in no way
loosened, for the constir act simply
conceded to the people of New South
Wales the same rights which prevailed In
| the United Kingdom, namely, of taxing
themselves, and Of being governed by
ministers responsible to Parliament
elected by the people. The authority
vested in the sovereign remains the same
as before, though the mode of Its exercise
is widely different. The sovereign, pre-
viously to responsible government, exer-
cised, through the governor, almost de-
spotic power. With the establishment of
responsible government this state of
things ceased, and the greatest measure
of individual liberty Is now found COM
patible with the full protection Of public
rights The readiness with which the
people of the colony adapted themselves
to the forms and practice of their new
r
and fully justified their assumption of its
privileges At present the whole of the
electoral power is absolutely in the
hands of the people, the humblest colonist
not a habitual criminal, possessing the
franchise, provided certain conditions of
registration and residence are complied
with. Practically all the points OF the
"people's charter" with the exception of
annual Parliaments, the general elections
taking place every three years, have been
adopted in Australia, the colony OF South
Australia going a step further by legal.
izing the principle of lone adult one vote
thereby extending the franchise to
women; yet there has been no deteriora-
ton in the conduct of public business, no
legislation of purely GLASS character, and
none of the malad1ninistration too fire.
quently associated with democratic rule.
However much Australian legislators
may differ from Teach 9 other in political
matters, they are, az body, as high
minded and spirited as any class
of parlia1nentarians In the whole world
In the mother colony, as in the others,
the sovereign is represented by govern
or, selected by the inn erial authorities.
and all laws are enacted in the name OF
the queen, ''by and with the advice of the
legislative council of the legislative as
sembly," the governor, as the royal
deputy, giving the assent OF the sovereign
Immediately to the acts of Parliament, or
reserying them flor the consideration of
the sovereign, il. he should think tit. The
colonial Legislature consists OF. the gov
ernor, the legislative council and the leg
islative assembly. The legislative council
consists of not less than 81 members. who
are appointed by the governor on the
present number is IS, of whom one-fourth
constitute quorum. There are certain
personal qualifications, but no property
qualifications. Four-tifths of the MEM
bers at least must consist of persons not
holding any Office of profit under the
crown. Subject to certain provision as to
the vacnting of seats and resignation,
members hold office for life. The legisla-
tive assembly consists of 1875 elective
members, of whom 20, exclusive of the
speaker, constitute quorum. Members
are subject to certain qualifications, of
which, perhaps, the most important Is
that which excludes any person holding
an office of profit under the crown, with
the exception of the chiefs of the nine
great administrative departments, accept
ance 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 receive
an allowance at the rate of $500 year.
The chief officer of the House Is the speak,
er, who Is elected by the house itself, on
the occasion of the assembling of new
Parliament after general election or on
an intermediate vacancy occurring. The
elections are based upon uniform system
of manhood suffrage, single-member con-
stituencies., equal electoral districts, and
self registration of voters, with safeguards
against illegal voting and corrupt prac-
tlces. The voting is by ballot, and there
are no public nominations with the ac-
companying show of hands. The nomi
nations are simply sent in to the return
ing ofncer, who, in the event of contest,
makes the necessary polling arrange
ments.. For the purposes sof administra-
tio1, the public business of the oolonyeis
distributed between nine different depart.
ments, each of which is presided over by
responsible minister as head, and
worked by staff of permanent officials.