E.—No. 4.

EURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE

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Enclosure in No. 1. 31 VICTORIA, 1867. A Bill to authorize the appointment of Members of the Executive Council to be Members of a Federal Council of the Australasian Colonies. — (Mr. Parkes, 11th July, 1867.) Preamble. Wheeeas the Governments of New South Wales, Victoria, New Zealand, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, respectively agreed to depute certain of their members to meet in Conference to consider and determine the best means of establishing a satisfactory system of steamship communication between the Australasian Colonies and Great Britain, for postal and other purposes. And whereas in pursuance of such agreement, a Conference was held in the City of Melbourne, at which certain resolutions were unanimously passed, and a certain Memorial, to be addressed separately by the respective Governments to Her Majesty the Queen, was unanimously adopted; and it was further resolved unanimously, that it was expedient to establish a Federal Council consisting of representatives from the Australasian Colonies, in order to carry into effect the agreements embodied in the said resolutions and the said Memorial, to which Federal Council other subjects of common interest, as they arise from time to time, might be advantageously referred for consideration : Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly of New South Wales, in Parliament asssembled, and by the authority of the same as follows: — Executive Councillors may be appointed to represent the Colony in any Federal Council. 1. It shall be lawful for the Governor, with the advice of tho Executive Council, to appoint one or more members of the Executive Council to represent this Colony in any Federal Council which may hereafter be created by the authority of the Parliaments, of any two or more of the Australasian Colonies. Special powers of members of Federal Council. 2. It shall be lawful for the member or members representing this Colony in any such Federal Council to deliberate upon, vote for, and give assent to any resolutions or measures that may bo necessary to carry out and establish the system of steamship communication for postal and other purposes, embodied in the proceedings of the Melbourne Conference, as contained hi Schedules hereto A, B, and C, and tho decisions of any such Federal Council, in respect to the matters set forth in the said Schedules in which the member or members representing this Colony shall deliberate, vote and give assent, shall be binding. Subjects may be referred by Parliament for the consideration and decision of Federal Council. 3. Other subjects of common interest and concernment to the Australasian Colonies may be referred for the consideration and decision of any Federal Council, constituted as herein defined, and in which this Colony may be represented as aforesaid on address to the Governor from both Houses of Parliament, and the members representing this Colony in any such Federal Council shall have authority on behalf of the said Colony to introduce, deliberate, and vote upon all subjects so referred for consideration and decision. The Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, to carry out decisions of Federal Council. 4. It shall be lawful for the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, to do all things that may be necessary on behalf of this Colony to carry into effect the decisions of any Federal Council as aforesaid: Provided that every such decision shall be arrived at unanimously, and provided also that no such decision shall be contrary and opposed to any law of the said Colony. Colony may retire from Federal Council. 5. Notwithstanding anything herein contained, this Colony, by its representatives, may retire from any Federal Council if no decision binding upon the said Colony has previously been arrived at by such Council, and in any case, on address to the Governor from both Houses of Parliament, the said Colony shall retire from any such Federal Council: Provided that all intercolonial agreements and contracts entered into on behalf of New South Wales then existing shall be carried out and performed by the said Colony in accordance with the provisions of this Act. Retirement of Colony or Colonies not to invalidate proceedings of Federal Council. 6. In the event of any other Colony or Colonies retiring from any Federal Council, and this Colony continuing to be represented in such Council, the decisions of such Council shall be binding and have effect in the same manner as if tho retirement of the said Colony or Colonies had not taken place. Proceedings to be laid before Parliament. 7. The votes and proceedings of each session of any Federal Council shall, within one month from the termination thereof, be laid before both Houses of Parliament if Parliament be then sitting, and if Parliament be not then sitting, then within one month after the opening of the next session of Parliament. Commencement of Act. Short Title. 8. This Act shall come into operation on the first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, and may bo cited for all purposes as " The Federal Council Act of 1867."

SCHEDULES. Schedule A. —Resolutions agreed to at Conference ; printed with Postal Conference papers, 1867, page 23, E.—No. 2. Schedule S. —Printed as Enclosure 2 in No. 15 of Postal Conference papers, 1867, E. —No. 2, page 29. Schedule C. —List of branch mail services ; Postal Conference papers, 1867, page 35, E.—No. 2.