Page:South Africa Act 1909.djvu/4

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South Africa Act, 1909.

A.D. 1909.

Appointment and removal of officers.

15. The appointment and removal of all officers of the public service of the Union shall be vested in the Governor-General-in-Council, unless the appointment is delegated by the Governor-General-in-Council or by this Act or by a law of Parliament to some other authority.

Transfer of executive powers to Governor-General-in-Council.

16. All powers, authorities, and functions which at the establishment of the Union are in any of the Colonies vested in the Governor or in the Governor-in-Council, or in any authority of the Colony, shall, as far as the same continue in existence and are capable of being exercised after the establishment of the Union, be vested in the Governor-General or in the Governor-General-in-Council, or in the authority exercising similar powers under the Union, as the case may be, except such powers and functions as are by this Act or may by a law of Parliament be vested in some other authority.

Command of naval and military forces.

17. The command-in-chief of the naval and military forces within the Union is vested in the King or in the Governor-General as his representative.

Seat of Government.

18. Save as in section twenty-three excepted, Pretoria shall be the seat of Government of the Union.



Part IV.


Parliament.

Legislative power.

19. The legislative power of the Union shall be vested in the Parliament of the Union, herein called Parliament, which shall consist of the King, a Senate, and a House of Assembly.

Sessions of Parliament.

20. The Governor-General may appoint such times for holding the sessions of Parliament as he thinks fit, and may also from time to time, by proclamation or otherwise, prorogue Parliament, and may in like manner dissolve the Senate and the House of Assembly simultaneously, or the House of Assembly alone provided that the Senate shall not be dissolved within a period of ten years after the establishment of the Union, and provided further that the dissolution of the Senate shall not affect any senators nominated by the Governor-General-in-Council.

Summoning of first Parliament.

[1]21. Parliament shall be summoned to meet not later than six months after the establishment of the Union.

Annual session of Parliament.

22. There shall be a session of Parliament once at least in every year, so that a period of twelve months shall


  1. See Proc. 123 of 1910 (Gazette, 11th October, 1910, p. 114), summoning Parliament to meet for First Session on 31st October, 1910.