Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/99

CHAPTER VI.

NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—EXCLUSION OF THE PASTORAL INTEREST FROM THE EXERCISE OF THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE—THEIR IMPORTANCE—IMPOSSIBILITY OF PORT PHILLIP BEING ADEQUATELY REPRESENTED AT SYDNEY—UNIVERSAL DESIRE FOR SEPARATION FROM SYDNEY—STATEMENT OF THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE OF PORT PHILLIP—FIRST SESSION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL—ITS LEGISLATION AND GENERAL DEMEANOUR—DISTRICT COUNCILS—CORPORATION OF MELBOURNE.

By the act of parliament, 5 and 6 Victoria, cap. 76, a new constitution was given to the colony of New South Wales. By this act, the legislative power is vested in one chamber, called the Legislative Council, controlled, however, by the veto of the governor in the first instance, and by that of the queen in the second. Any bill which passes the council and receives the governor's assent, becomes law until disallowed by the queen, and notice of such disallowance being published in the colony; and any bill which passes the council, but from which the governor withholds his assent, does not become law unless the queen subsequently allows it, and until notice of such allowance as before.

The governor is assisted by an executive council, consisting, I believe, of the chief justice, the bishop, the commander of the forces, the colonial secretary, the colonial treasurer, and the attorney-general.

The Legislative Council consists of thirty-six members, twelve of whom are either ex officio members, as holding certain offices under the crown, or are nomi-