QUEENSLAND. Constitution and Government. THE form of government of the colony of Queensland was established December 10, 1859, on its separation from New South Wales. The power of making laws, and imposing taxes, is vested in a Parliament of two Houses, the Legislative Council, and the Legislative Assembly. The former consists of twenty members, nominated by the Crown for life; and the latter of twenty-six deputies, elected by all natural-born or naturalised citizens, who pay taxes, and have undergone no condemnation for any criminal act. vested in a governor appointed by the Crown. The executive is Governor of Queensland.- Sir George Fergusson Bowen, born 1822; educated at the Charterhouse, and at Trinity College, Oxford ; elected fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford, 1844; admitted a member of Lincoln's Inn, 1844; appointed president of the University of Corfu, 1847, resigned 1851; chief secretary to the government of the Ionian Islands, 1854; C.M.G., 1855, K.C.M.G., 1856, and promoted to G.C.M.G., 1860; appointed first governor of Queensland, 1859. The governor is commander-in-chief of the troops, and also bears the title of vice-admiral. He has a salary of 4,000l. per annum, ' and allowances.' In the exercise of the executive authority he is assisted by an Executive Council, consisting of four members, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Colonial Treasurer, and the Secretary for Public Lands and Works. Each of these ministers has a salary of 1,000l. per annum. They are jointly and individually responsible for their acts to the Legislative Assembly. Revenue and Population. The public income and expenditure of Queensland, during the first three years of its existence, was as follows: The revenue for 1863 was estimated by the Colonial Treasurer, in the annual statement laid before the Legislative Assembly, at 321,500l., and the expenditure at 317,000l. The greater part of the revenue is produced by customs duties, land sales, and rents of public lands; while the chief expenditure is for works of general utility, and for aids to emigration. The colony of Queensland comprises the whole north-eastern portion of the Australian continent. It also includes, in the terms of Her Majesty's Letters Patent, all and every the adjacent islands, their members and appurtenances, in the Pacific Ocean and in the Gulf of Carpentaria.' It appears from the statistical register of Queensland for 1861, that the Surveyor-General has made a careful calculation of the present area of the colony; and the result is, in round numbers, as follows: The vast territory thus defined formed a part of New South Wales until it was erected into a separate colony, under the name of Queensland, by an order of Her Majesty in Council, which took effect on December 10, 1859, upon the arrival of the first governor, Sir G. F. Bowen. The population amounted to 24,870 on December 31, 1859; to 29,074 on December 31,1860, and to 34,367 at the same date in 1861. The increase of population in the year 1862 by immigration from Europe amounted to 8,080-namely, 4,703 males and 3,377 females; and the increase by immigration from other colonies was 1,725—namely, 1,285 males and 440 females. At the end of 1862, the population contained three males for every two females; but it is remarkable that in the course of the year 1862, though the male births were 110.5 to every 100 females born, the excess of births over deaths gave but 387 males and as many as 518 females. The total increase by immigration in the year 1862, from all parts, was 9,805; and the population on December 31, 1862, was estimated at 45,077, of whom 27,186 were males and 17,891 females. Trade and Commerce. The value of the exports of the colony in 1861 amounted to 709,5281.; of this sum 613,000l. was the value of 6,994,000 lbs. of wool. The imports in the same year amounted to 967,950l., or about 281. per head on the then existing population of 34,000. The following was the number and tonnage of vessels which entered and cleared, from and to each country, in the 1861: year The number and tonnage of vessels of each nation which entered and cleared, in the year 1861, was as follows: : The total registered tonnage and horse power of steamers, in the year 1861, was as follows:— Tonnage. Registered Steam Horse power 369 There are several coal mines in the colony, producing about 18,000 tons of coal per annum. Great gold fields have hitherto not been discovered, though the metal is believed to be extant in large quantities. Most of the productions of both temperate and tropical countries can be cultivated with success in Queensland. The climate is stated to be favourable to pastoral occupations, and to the growth of wool. Experience has shown that extensive districts are also adapted for the growth of cotton. Many writers regard this colony as destined to become the future cotton-field of Great Britain. A bonus is offered by the Government of ten acres of land for every bale of Sea Island cotton weighing 300 lbs. However, the RegistrarGeneral of Queensland, in his report of June 1861, stated that agriculture had made little progress; the high rate of wages, uncertainty of getting labour, and the difficulty of conveying produce to market over roads, always rough and often impassable, having hitherto made it more economical to import almost all kinds of agricultural produce than to grow them. According to an official return of March 1863, the extent of land set aside for the cultivation of cotton at that period was under 100 acres. THE Constitution of South Australia bears date October 27, 1856. It vests the legislative power in a Parliament elected by the people. The Parliament consists of a Legislative Council and a House of Assembly. The former is composed of eighteen members, six of whom retire every four years, their successors being then elected for twelve years. The executive has no power to dissolve this body. It is elected by the whole colony voting as one district. The qualification of an elector to the Legislative Council is as follows:-He must be twenty-one years of age, a natural-born or naturalised subject of Her Majesty, and have been on the electoral roll six months, besides having a freehold of 50l. value, or a leasehold of 201. annual value, or occupying a dwelling-house of 257. annual value. The qualification for a member of Council is merely that he must be thirty years of age, a natural-born or naturalised subject, and a resident in the province for three years. President of the Council is elected by the members. The The House of Assembly consists of thirty-six members, elected for three years by seventeen districts, but liable to dissolution by the executive. The sole qualification for an elector is that of having been on the electoral roll for six months, and of having arrived at twenty-one years of age; and the qualification for a member is the same. The Speaker is elected for the Parliament by the members of a new House on its first meeting. Judges and ministers of religion are ineligible for election as members, as well as aliens who have not resided five years in the colony. The elections of members of both Houses are conducted by ballot. The executive is vested in a governor appointed by the Crown and a responsible Executive Council, the members of which must have been elected deputies of either of the two Houses of Parliament. Governor of South Australia.-Sir Dominic Daly, born 1798; Secretary of the province of Canada, 1840-48; appointed Lieut.Governor of Tobago, 1851; transferred to the government of Prince Edward's Island in 1854-59; appointed Governor of South Australia, November 1861. The governor, who is at the same time commander-in-chief of all the troops, has a salary of 4,000l. per annum. The Cabinet, or Executive Council, of which he is the president, consists of five members, called the Chief Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Treasurer, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, and the Commissioner of Public The Works. The Chief Secretary has a salary of 1,300l. per annum, and each of the other members of the Cabinet of 8001. ministers are jointly and individually responsible to the Legislature for all their official acts. Revenue and Population. The annual revenue of the colony for each financial year ending June 30, was as follows, during 1858 to 1862 : In the budget for the year ending June 30, 1864, which was laid before the Legislative Assembly in the session of 1863, the estimated revenue from all sources except sale of land was stated by the Treasurer at 465,1357., while an additional sum of 145,0001. was estimated as the produce of land sales in the year. The expenditure during the year 1863-64 was set down at 465,5781., leaving a surplus of 144,5577. The various branches of public revenue and expenditure for the year ending June 30, 1860, are given in the subjoined table: |