American and Australian Constitutions.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 16, 21 October 1905, Page 53

American and Australian Constitutions.

Comparing the constitutions or .America and Australia, “Life” says: “The Constitution Act of Australia was largely modelled on the American Constitution and that of Canada. The similitude between the Governments of America and Australia is, consequently, very close in some points. The legislative power of the United States consists of two Houses, like that of Australia, and called similarly the Senate and the House of Representatives. The mode of election is, however, dissimilar. The American Senate consists of ninety members—that is, two for each State. They are elected by the State Legislatures, and hold office for six years. In the Commonwealth the Senate is composed of thirty-six members, who are directly chosen by the electors of each State, voting as one constituency. The term of office is the same as in America. The distinguishing power of the American Senate is that it may reject or ratify, as it sees fit, all treaties made by the President with foreign Powers. Like the French Senate, it also may act as a High Court for the impeachment of any high officials or political misdemeanants. All appointments made by the President are subject to the approval of the Senate. The Federal Senate has, of course, no such powers. But. broadly speaking, being elected on the same franchise, it has equal legislative power with the Lower House. Only the Senate may not originate or amend any money Bills. It

can, however, make rvuoitiniendaliou* t> the House of Representatives on que®tious of taxation, though it has no means of imposing observance with its recumnieiidat ions. The American House of Representatives consists of 386 member', elected every two years by an adult male suffrage. and apportioned among the States according to population. The 'senate and the House of Representatives constitute Congress. The Federal House of Representatives consists of seventy-six members elected for three years on an adult suffrage. The various States of America have two elective Chambers and a State Governor as the component Federal States. That is to say. America is governed by ninety-two distinct Parliamentary Chambers, with forty live Governors in addition to-the President. Excluding Congress, there is one Parliament of two houses for every 2,000,000 of population. It requires fourteen distinct Parliamentary Chambers to govern the Australian Commonwealth. Excluding the Federal Parliament, there is, thus, one Parliament of two Houses for every 335,000 of population. In the American Congress there is one member, roughly speaking, for every 278,000 persons in the Union. In the Federal Parliament there is one member for every 36,000. Australia is, thus, a much more “politician-ridden” country, in proportion to its population, than America. If the Commonwealth had as large a population as the United States, it would, at the present proportion of representatives, need a Parliament of 2361 members to do what America, does with a Congress of 476 members.’*