19 & 20 V. c. 97. 21 & 22 V. c. 93. 22 & 23 V. c. 35. 23 & 24 V. c. 38. 24 & 25 V. c. 94. 24 & 25 V. c. 96. 24 & 25 V. c. 97. 24 & 25 V. c. 98. 24 & 25 V. c. 99. 24 & 25 V. c. 100. Compensation for Death through Negligence ... ... Amending Law relating to Administrations (amended ... Protection of Purchasers against Judgments, &c. To amend Laws relating to Bills of Lading ... ... ... An Act to amend the Laws of England and Ireland An Act to further amend the Law of Property, and An Act to further amend the Law of Property ... An Act to consolidate and amend the Statute Law of An Act to consolidate and amend the Statute Law of) An Act to consolidate and amend the Statute Law of 31 V. 8. 20 V. 7. 31 V. 8. 29 V. 5. HEREAS the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God, have agreed to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and under the Constitution hereby established: And whereas it is expedient to provide for the admission into the Commonwealth of other Australasian Colonies and possessions of the Queen : Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: I. THIS Act may be cited as the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act. A.D. 1900. Short title. Act to extend to the II. THE provisions of this Act referring to the Queen shall extend to Her Majesty's Heirs and Successors in the Sovereignty of Queen's Successors. the United Kingdom. Proclamation of III. IT shall be lawful for the Queen, with the advice of the Privy Council, to declare by Proclamation that, on and after a day Commonwealth. therein appointed, not being later than one year after the passing of this Act, the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, and also, if Her Majesty is satisfied that A.D. 1900. Commencement of Act. Operation of the Definitions. Repeal of Federal 48 & 49 Vict., c. 60. Application of Colonial Boundaries Constitution Act. the people of Western Australia have agreed thereto, of Western Australia, shall be united in a Federal Commonwealth under the name of the Commonwealth of Australia. But the Queen may, at any time after the Proclamation, appoint a Governor General for the Commonwealth. IV. 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. V. 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. VI. "THE Commonwealth" shall mean the Commonwealth of Australia as established under this Act. "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." 66 Original States" shall mean such States as are parts of the VII. 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. VIII. 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 58 & 59 Vict., c. 34. self-governing Colony for the purposes of that Act. Act. Constitution Act. IX. THE Constitution of the Commonwealth shall be as follows: A.D. 1900. Constitution. CHAPTER II. THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT: CHAPTER III. THE JUDICATURE: 1. THE legislative power of the Commonwealth shall be vested in a Federal Parliament, which shall consist of the Queen, a Senate, Legislative power. and a House of Representatives, and which is hereinafter called "The Parliament," or "The Parliament of the Commonwealth." 2. A GOVERNOR General appointed by the Queen shall be Her Majesty's representative in the Commonwealth, and shall have Governor General. and may exercise in the Commonwealth during the Queen's pleasure, but subject to this Constitution, such powers and functions of the Queen as Her Majesty may be pleased to assign to him. 3. THERE shall be payable to the Queen out of the Consoli General. dated Revenue Fund of the Commonwealth, for the salary of the Salary of Governor Governor General, an annual sum which, until the Parliament otherwise provides, shall be Ten thousand pounds. |