AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 5592, 9 February 1881, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL COUNCIL.

_ + Appended is a digest of the draft measure submitted by Sir Henry Parkes to the Intercolonial Conference for the establishment of a Federal Council of Australia, but concerning whioh no decision was arrived at. It is intended to be submitted to the Parliament of each colony agreeing with it* object:— Tke measure proposes to establish a Federal Council of An3iraTia to represent ea*h of any two or more of the Australian oolonit*. The Gavernor of the colony is empowered to appoint three members of the Lt-gjilative Council or Assembly to be members of »uoh Federal Council, who will thereupo» vac *te their seats. The Federal Council shall have legislative and administrative authority in respect to the subjects and ssrvices and the matters and things «et forth in the schedule, and any Act or regulation of euoh Federal Counc.l, 00 receiving the assent in the name of Her Majesty or the Governor of the colony in which the said Council shall then ba Bitting, shall have the effeot and foroe of law within the territories and jurisdiction of the several colonies represented in such Council for the time being ; provided that all such Acta and regulatiens of any one session, except such as the Governor may reserve for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure thereoD, shall be assented to before the prorogation of the said Council. Provided further that no Aofc or regulation shall be in conflict or inoons a»ent with the laws of the represented colonies. The Federal Council shaft be assembled for the despatch of business at least once in every year by one of the Governors of the several oolonies represented in such Council. The oolonies bo represented bhall for this purpose rank according to their amount of population, as ascertained by the last preceding census, and the Governor of the colony with the largest population shall convene and prorogue the Council during the first year of its existence, and the Governor cf the oolony with the next largest population shall convene and prorogue the Council during the second year; and so on until the number of colonies has been exhausted, when the order of procedure shall be repeated ad infinitum. The Federal Council shall assemble In the colony presided over by the Governor issuing the proclamation calling It together. The members of the Federal Council shall be appointed for a term of five years, and ahall ba eligible for re-appointment on the expiration of their term of office. In each oase ot the first appointments one cf the three members of eaoh colony shall be appointed for three years only. Any member may resign his seat by letter addressed uader hia hand to the Governor by whom he was appointed. _ , . _ At the first meeting of the Federal Coun-

cil the members present shall by open vote elect one of their number to be president. It shall not be competent to prooeed to the consideration of liuiness unless twothirds of the members shall be present, ineluding a* least one representative of each colon}, Any member absenting hinmlf from a meeting without leavo Bh»ll forfeit a anm equal to one-'hird of his allowance for ohe month, to De deducted therefrom ; and any member absenting himself from three consecutive meetings shall thereby cease to be a. member of Hich Cosnoll, a»d his seat shall beoome and ehali be d-sclared vaeaal. An allowance of L6OO per a*M», t«oover and iholode all traveling and •*« expense* incurred in the performance of his duties, is tl'owed to each member out of the consolidated revenue •* the colony he reprejeatu. The seats of memskw are vacated »▼»• solvency or crime, and contractors are disqualified in the usual manner. A penalty of L2OO ii imposed •■ disqualified persons sitting or voting. The Parliament <<f wyoie of ths rtpt*B*nted oolonits by addreea of beth Hsaaes duect d to the Federal Council may at aay time remit for its consideration aad administrative tr«at.ntnb aay subject or servioe or sny matter »r thing not expressly set forth in the schedule hereto, and ths said Counoil shall be charged with snob sul.j»ct or wrvioe or matter t r thing sec >rdingly. Such address shall be first approved by re«el»Wea *f oeth Houses of Filament of the otier represented colonies. In like mana«r any subject or servioe or matter or thi«g may be withdrawn from the said Council. The Federal Council shall at the clote of its labors in every year prepare a geneal report embracing a statement of its wrooeedings and a summary of the enactments ot the several Parliaments of the represented coloniep, explainirg the scope and objects of each enactments, but; not expressing any opinion upon their policy. Such report shall be presented to the Governor or ihe colony where the Federal Council is then sitting, and twenty copies of the same shall be sent forthwith to the G*ve nor of each of the represented cloniea, who shall without delay cause it to be laid b<i #rft both Houseb of the Parliament of such colony. The Governor of any oni of the represented colonies may, with the approval by resolution of the Legislative Assembly af such colony, place under the supervision, direction, and control of the Federal Council the construction of any lighthouse, fortification, or other public work within tha territory or jurisdiction of fcucti colony, aad the expenditure sanctioned by Parliament in connection therewith or any part thereof. In every such case a detailed statement tf expenditure shall be presented as an appendix to the Council's annual general reporb. ! The following is the schedule of the subjects proposed to be remitted to the Council : The marine lighting &f the Australian coasts. The navigation of the Australian coastal w&tdrs The oonsfcracUm of fortifioationa aad works of defenc, eubjeot in the case of e&ch represented colony to special instructions from the Government and to the withdrawal of the works altogether by the Parliament, The relations of the represented colonies with the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Tho immigration of African or Ariatio races. Oi<ai mail services. Oo3»n telegraph lines. Pilot services.