A.—s

becomes vacant the Senate shall again choose a member to be the President ; and the President shall preside at all meetings of the Senate ; and the choice of the President shall be made known to the Governor-General by a deputation of the Senate. The President may be removed from office by a vote of the Senate. He may resign his office ; and upon his ceasing to be a member his office shall become vacant. Absence of President provided for. 17. The Senate may choose a member to perform the duties of the President in his absence. Resignation of place in Senate. 18. A Senator may, by writing, addressed to the President, or to the Governor-General if there be no President or if the President is absent from the Commonwealth, resign his place, which thereupon shall become vacant. Disqualification of member by absence. 19. The place of a Senator shall become vacant if, for two consecutive months of any session of the Parliament, he, without the permission of the Senate entered on its Journals, fail to attend the Senate. Vacancy in Senate to be notified to Governor of State. 20. Upon the happening of a vacancy in the Senate, the President, or, if there be no President or if the President is absent from the Commonwealth, the Governor-General, shall forthwith notify the same to the Governor of the State in the representation of which the vacancy has happened. Questions as to qualifications and vacancies in States Assembly. 21. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, any question respecting the qualification of a Senator, or a vacancy in the Senate, shall be determined by the Senate. Quorum of Senate. 22. The presence of at least one-third of the whole number of Senators shall be necessary to constitute a meeting of the Senate for the exercise of its powers: Voting in Senate. 23. Questions arising in the Senate shall be determined by a majority of votes, and the President shall in all cases be entitled to a vote; and when the votes are equal the question shall pass in the negative. Pact lll.—The House of Eepbesentatives. Constitution of House of Representatives. 24. The House of Eepresentatives shall be composed of members directly chosen by the people of the several States, according to their respective numbers; as nearly as practicable there shall be two members of the House of for every one member of the Senate. Until the Parliament otherwise provides for the method of determining the number of members for each quota, there shall be one member for each quota of the people of the State; and the quota shall, whenever necessary, be ascertained by dividing the population of the Commonwealth, as shown by the latest statistics of the Commonwealth, by twice the number of the members of the Senate ; and the number of members to which each State is entitled shall be determined by dividing the population of the State, as shown by the latest statistics of the Commonwealth, by the quota. But each of the existing Colonies of New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia, and the Province of South Australia shall be entitled to five representatives at the least. Provision for case of persons not allowed to vote. 25. In ascertaining the number of the people of any State, so as to determine the number of members to which the State is entitled, there shall be deducted from the whole number of the people of the State the number of the people of any race not entitled to vote at elections for the more numerous House of the Parliament of the State. Mode of calculating number of members. 26. When, upon the apportionment of Representatives, it is found that after dividing the number of the people of a State by the quota there remains a surplus greater than one-half of such quota, the State shall have one more Eepresentative. • Representatives in first Parliament. 27. Notwithstanding anything in section 24, the number of members to be chosen by each State at the first election shall be as follows : [To be determined according to the latest statistical returns at the date of the passing of the Act, and in relation to the quota referred to in previous sections]. Increase of number of House of Representatives. 28. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the number of members of the House of Eepresentatives may be from time to time increased or diminished by the Parliament. Electoral divisions. 29. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, the electoral divisions of the several States for the purpose of returning members of the House of Eepresentatives, and the number of members to be chosen for each electoral division, shall be determined from time to time by the Parliaments of the several States. Until division each State shall be one electorate.

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