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unity and well-being of the British Empire. With this object in view, I submit to the consideration of the House the measures to which I have referred. I do so with diffidence as to the details of these measures, but with confidence that they are founded upon the true principles of colonial policy. I thereask the House to recommend this Bill, and to consider these measures in detail.

CONSTITUTION PROPOSED BY SIR WILLIAM MOLESWORTH FOR NEW SOUTH WALES, AND, WITH THE REQUISITE ALTERATIONS, FOR ALL THE OTHER AUSTRALIAN COLONIES AND NEW ZEALAND.

ANALYSIS.

Classification of Clauses.

Subject Matter of Clauses.

I. Parliament.

II. Governor.

III. Legislative
Council.

IV. House of
Assembly.

1. Constitution of Parliament.

2. How appointed and paid.

3. Manner of supplying vacancies in office.

4. Governor to be removed on the Address of two

thirds of both Houses.

5. Governor to forward Addresses.

6. Waste Land to be disposed of according to Acts of the Colonial Parliament.

7. Assent of Governor to Bills.

8. Governor to call together and prorogue Houses, and to dissolve House of Assembly.

9. Parliament to be called together once in every

year.

10. Governor to appoint to civil offices.

11. Governor to grant reprieves and pardons.

12. Instructions to Governor.

13. Constitution of Legislative Council.

14. Qualification of Members of Legislative Council. 15. Succession of Members of Legislative Council. 16. Constitution of House of Assembly.

17. Qualification of Members of House of Assembly. 18. Duration of House of Assembly.

Classification of Clauses.

V. Both Houses.

ANALYSIS-continued.

Subject Matter of Clauses.

19. Qualification of electors of both Houses.
20. Writs and conduct of elections.

21. Writ to be issued by Governor on vacancy
occurring.

22. Oath of Allegiance.

23. Power of each House over its own Members.

24. Each House to Elect its Speaker and determine the rules of its proceedings.

25. Revenue Bills.

26. Reservation of Imperial powers.

27. Reserved powers may be vested in the Governor by letters patent.

VI. Limits of Im-28.
perial and
Colonial
Powers.

Restrictions on the power of the Parliament of
New South Wales.

29. Original jurisdiction of the Queen in Council.
30. Appellate jurisdiction of the Queen in Council.

31. Alterations in Act how to be made.

32. General legislative power of Parliament of New South Wales.

1. And be it Enacted, That the Legislature of the said colony of New South Wales shall consist of a Governor, and subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, of two Houses, to be called respectively the "Legislative Council" and "House of Assembly" of New South Wales; and such Governor and two Houses together shall be called the Parliament of New South Wales.

2. And be it Enacted, That the Governor shall be appointed by Her Majesty by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland, and shall receive his salary from the Treasury of the United Kingdom; and the supreme executive power in the colony shall be vested in such Governor.

3. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, during any vacancy of the office of Governor, the Speaker of the Legislative Council, or, if there be then no Speaker of the Legislative Council, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, or, if there be then no Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the said colony, shall exercise such office; and whenever the Speaker of the House of Legislative Council or of the House of Assembly shall so exercise the said

office, his duties as Speaker shall be suspended, and the Legislative Council or House of Assembly (as the case may require) shall fill the vacancy until his duties as Governor

cease.

4. And be it Enacted, That if at any time an address passed by two-thirds of the whole number of the members of each House of Parliament of New South Wales be presented to Her Majesty, praying for the removal of any Governor from his office, such Governor shall thereupon be removed, and another appointed in his place.

5. And be it Enacted, That the Governor shall, without delay, forward to Her Majesty's principal Secretary of State, for presentation to Her Majesty, all addresses passed by a majority of either of the two Houses of the Parliament of New South Wales.

6. And be it Enacted, That the Governor shall dispose of the waste lands of the colony, including minerals of every description, and all fines, forfeitures, and other royalties, according to any Acts which the Parliament of New South Wales may pass for the purpose, preserving to the persons entitled thereto the benefit of all grants of land, and of all contracts for grants of land, made or entered into previously to the passing of any Act affecting such land.

7. And be it Enacted, That no Bill shall become law without the assent of the Governor, and that he shall, before the close of the Session, declare his assent to or dissent from every Bill presented to him.

8. And be it Enacted, That the Governor shall have power, from time to time, to call together the said Houses of Parliament, to fix their place of meeting, and to prorogue them; and shall also have power to dissolve the House of Assembly when he may think expedient.

9. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, the Governor shall hold a Session of the said Parliament once in every year, the first of such Sessions to be holden at some time not later ] months after the proclamation of this Act in the

than [ colony.

10. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, the Governor shall appoint to all civil offices in the said colony.

II. And be it Enacted, That the Governor shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for all offences committed in the said colony.

12. And be it Enacted, That no instructions shall be given to any Governor, except in relation to the powers and prerogatives hereinafter reserved.

13. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, the Legislative Council shall consist of [

] members, and

shall be constituted as follows (that is to say); the Governor and existing Legislative Council shall, within three calendar months after the proclamation of this Act, divide the colony into [ provinces, or, if such division be not so made within such period, the Governor shall, within the further period of one calendar month, make the same by proclamation; and each of such provinces shall elect three members.

14. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, no person shall be elected a member of the Legislative Council unless he be of the age of thirty years, a natural born or naturalised subject of Her Majesty, and legally or equitably seised or entitled for his own use or possession of or to a freehold estate in the colony of the value of four thousand pounds, or of the yearly value of two hundred pounds above all charges.

15. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, the said Legislative Council shall, immediately upon assembling together after its first election, be divided by lot into three classes, each consisting of [ ] members, in such manner

that each province shall have one of its members in each class; and the seats of the first class shall be vacated at the end of the third year from the date of the issuing of the writs for the first election of the said Council; the seats of the second class shall be vacated at the end of the sixth year from such date as aforesaid; and the seats of the third class at the end of the ninth year from such date as aforesaid; and all members elected to fill the seats so vacated shall hold their seats for the term of nine years: Provided nevertheless, That, whenever a casual vacancy occurs in the seat of a legislative councillor, the person elected in his stead shall hold his seat for such

period only as the member in whose stead he is elected would have held his seat, if the same had not been vacated.

16. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, the House of Assembly shall consist of [ members; and

for the purpose of constituting the House of Assembly, the Governor and existing Legislative Council shall, within three calendar months after the proclamation of this Act, divide the colony into electoral districts, and determine the number of members to be returned for each district; or, if such division and determination be not so made within such period, the Governor shall, within the further period of one calendar month, make the same by proclamation.

17. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, no person shall be capable of being elected a member of the said House of Assembly unless he be of the age of twenty-one years, a natural born or naturalised subject of Her Majesty, and is legally or equitably seised or entitled for his own use in possession of or to a freehold estate in the colony of the value of two thousand pounds, or of the yearly value of one hundred pounds above all charges.

18. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, the said House of Assembly, unless sooner dissolved by the Governor, shall continue for five years from the day of the return of the writs for calling together the same, and no longer.

19. And be it Enacted, That, subject to any alteration to be made by the Parliament of New South Wales, every man of the age of twenty-one years, being a natural born or naturalised subject of Her Majesty, or legally made a denizen of New South Wales, and having a freehold or leasehold estate in possession, situate within the province or district for which his vote is to be given, of the clear value of [

] above

all charges, of or to which he has been seised or entitled, either at law or in equity, for at least six calendar months before the previous registration of electors, or being a householder within such province or district occupying a dwellinghouse of the clear annual value of [ ], and having

resided therein six calendar months before the previous registration of electors, shall, if duly registered, be entitled to vote

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