5

A.-4a

But the Queen may, at any time after the Proclamation, appoint a Governor-General for the Commonwealth. Commencement of Act. 4. The Commonwealth shall be established, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth shall take effect, on and after the day so appointed. But the Parliaments of the several colonies may, at any time after the passing, of this Act, make any such laws, to come into operation on the day so appointed, as they might have made if the Constitution had taken effect at the passing of this Act. Operation of the Constitution and laws. 5. This Act, and all laws made by the Parliament of the Commonwealth under the Constitution, shall be binding on the Courts, Judges, and people of every State, and of every part of the Commonwealth, notwithstanding anything in the laws of any State ; and the laws of the Commonwealth shall be in force on all British ships, the Queen's ships of war excepted, whose first port of clearance and whose port of destination are in the Commonwealth. Definition. 6. "The Commonwealth" shall mean the Commonwealth of Australia, as established under this Act. " Colony " shall mean any Colony or Province. "The States" shall mean such of the Colonies of New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, including the northern territory of South Australia, as for the time being are parts of the Commonwealth, and such colonies or territories as may be admitted into or established by the Commonwealth as States; and each of such parts of the Commonwealth shall be called a " State." " Original States" shall mean such States as are parts of the Commonwealth at its establishment. Repeal of Federal Council Act. 7. " The Federal Council of Australasia Act, 1885," is hereby repealed, but so as not to affect any laws passed by the Federal Council of Australasia and in force at the establishment of the Commonwealth. Any such law may be repealed as to any State by the Parliament of the Commonwealth, or as to any colony not being a State, by the Parliament thereof. Application of Colonial Boundaries Act. 8. After the passing of this Act " The Colonial Boundaries Act, 1895," shall not apply to any colony which becomes a State of the Commonwealth; but the Commonwealth shall be taken to be a self-governing colony for the purposes of that Act. Constitution and its divisions. 9. The Constitution of the Commonwealth shall be as follows :— THE CONSTITUTION. This Constitution is divided as follows — CHAPTEE I.— THE PAELIAMENT : Part I.—General : Part . ll.—The Senate : Pact lll.—The House op Eepresentatives: Past IV.—Both Houses of the Parliament : Part V. —Powers of the Parliament : CHAPTEE II.— THE EXECUTIVE GOVEENMENT: CHAPTER III.— THE JUDICATUEE : CHAPTEE IV.— FINANCE AND TEADE : CHAPTEE "V.— THE STATES: CHAPTEE VI.— NEW STATES: CHAPTEE VII.— MISCELLANEOUS: CHAPTEE VIII.— ALTEEATION OF THE CONSTITUTION: THE SCHEDULE. CHAPTEE I. THE PAELIAMENT. Part I.—General. Legislative power. 1. The legislative power of the Commonwealth shall be vested in a Federal Parliament, which shall consist of the Queen, a Senate, and a House of Eepresentatives, and which is hereinafter called " The Parliament," or "The Parliament of the Commonwealth." Governor-General. 2. A Governor-General appointed by the Queen shall be Her Majesty's representative in the Commonwealth, and shall have and may exercise in the Commonwealth during the Queen's