in such colony. In all the Australasian colonies members of the Ministry are members for the time being of the Executive Council, which corresponds somewhat to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, and it is to their membership of this body that they owe the title of "Honourable," which they cannot assume until they have been sworn into its privileged precincts. In all these colonies, except Victoria and Tasmania, the members of a retiring Ministry cease to be members of the Executive Council, and would thus lose the title of "Honourable" were it not that, under the Duke of Newcastle's despatch dealing with the case, any member of the Executive Council who has served as a member of the Government either consecutively or cumulatively for three years may by royal warrant be permitted to retain the title of "Honourable" within his particular colony for the term of his life. In Victoria and, it would also seem, in Tasmania, when once a public man has been sworn a member of the Executive Council, he remains one for life, and thus retains the degree of "Honourable" for life also. The Speaker of the Lower House in each colony assumes the title whilst he occupies the chair, and it is a moot point whether the judges of the Supreme Court are not entitled to the distinction, though the preponderance of local custom gives them (including even the Chief Justice) the designation of "His Honour" in common with the District and County Court judiciary.
There may be some confusion, too, in the English mind as to the designation of members of Parliament in the various Australasian colonies. Membership of the Upper House in each of the colonies is signified by the addition of the letters "M.L.C."; but with regard to the Lower House a good deal of contrariety prevails. In New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Western Australia the Lower House is called the Legislative Assembly, and except in the case of South Australia the members are styled "M.L.A." In the case of the latter colony, however, the more pretentious affix of "M.P." is employed. In this regard there is a general tendency in all the colonies to give the title of "M.P." to members of the Lower House, especially where it is desired to be particularly complimentary; but in South Australia alone does the designation "M.P." appear to have crystallised into normal official and social use. In Tasmania the Lower House is called the House of Assembly, and members are styled "M.H.A." In New Zealand what is known as the Legislative Assembly in most of the other colonies is styled the House of Representatives, and the letters "M.H.R." are appended to the names of members.
It now remains for me to return my grateful thanks to the various gentlemen but for whose aid, even after eighteen months of almost continuous labour, it would have been impossible for me to give my work to the public at so early a date. Here it may be premised that all occurrences in the present volume have as far as possible been brought down to July 1892. Mr. J. Henniker Heaton, M.P., so well known in connection with the universally interesting question of postal reform, must have the credit of having been the first to explore in any comprehensive manner the mine
