THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 293
AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA.
The British Territories in Australasia comprise the self-governing States which now form the Commonwealth of Australia ; the Australian Dependencies of Papua and Northern Territory, the self-governing Dominion of New Zealand and adjacent islands, and the Crown Colony of Fiji. The British possessions in Oceania include the Tonga Islands and many other groups of islands and islets scattered over the Pacific.
THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
The Commonwealth of Australia, consisting of the six colonies (now denominated Original States) of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania, was proclaimed at Sydney January 1, 1901. After five of these colonies had, hy legislative enactments, approved by the direct vote of the electors, declared their desire for a Federal CTnion, the British Parliament, on July 9, 1900, ]iassed the Act to constitute the Commonwealth. This Act provided for the inclusion of ^\' estern Australia in the Federation if that colony so desired, and in the following month the colonial legislation necessary for this end was passed.
Legislative power is vested in a Federal Parliament, consisting of the King represented by a Governor-General, a Senate, and a House of Re- presentatives. The Senate consists of Senators (six for each of the Original States voting as one electorate) chosen for six years. In general, the Senate will be renewed to the extent of one-half every three years, but, in case of prolonged disagreement with the House of Representatives, it may be dissolved, and an entirely new Senate elected. The House of Repre- sentatives consists, as nearly as may be, of twice as many members as there are Senators, the numbers chosen in the several States being in proportion to the respective numbers of their people as shoAvn by the latest statistics of the Commonwealth, but not less than five for any original State. For the first House of Representatives the number was 75, distributed as follows : New South Wales, 26 ; Victoria, 23 ; Queensland, 9 ; South Australia, 7 ; Western Australia, 5 ; Tasmania, 5. As a result of the Census enumeration of 1911, New South Wales will have 27 members, Victoria 21, and Queens- land 10. Every House of Representatives continues for three years from the date of its first meeting, unless sooner dissolved. Electoral quali- fications for both Chambers of the first Federal Parliament were those for the more numerous House of the Parliament of the State in which the elector was competent to vote. Every Senator or Member of the House of Representatives must be a natural-born subject of the King, or have been for five years a naturalised subject under a law of the United Kingdom or of a State of the Commonwealth. He must be of full age, and must possess electoral qualification. Since the first Parliament of the Commonwealth was instituted, an Electoral Act has unified the franchise for both Chambers, on the basis of universal adult suffrage.
Last election April, 1910: Labour Party, 44; Fusionists, 29; Indepen- dent Liberals, 2.
The legislative powers of the Federal Parliament are extensive, embracing commerce, shipping, &c. ; finance ; defence ; postal, telegiajdi, and like .'services ; census and statistics ; conciliation and arbitration in industrial disputes extending beyond the limits of any one State. Authority is given for the Commonwealth to assume jurisdi(?tion in regard to r.'iilways, light- houses, kc; marriage and divorce; emigiation and immigration; currency W(\ banking ; weights and measures. The several State Parliaments retain
