V.  Australien.

Australien  zählt  vier  unabhängige  (staatenlose)  Gebietsgruppen,;  die  Neuhebriden,
gewisse  nordpazifische  Sporaden,  einzelne  Phönizinseln  und  Tuamotuinseln,;  aber  auch
bezüglich  ihrer  bestehen  Abmachungen  (oder  mindestens  Ansprüche)  einzelner  Kolonialmächte,
  die  einen  Gebietserwerb  in  nicht  ferner  Zeit  voraussehen  lassen.  Im  übrigen
ist  die  politische  Gestaltung  des  Erdteils  durchaus  ein  Bild  kolonisatorischer  Bestrebungen,
nachdem  auch  der  letzie  selbständige  Staat  in  fremde  Macht  gelangt  ist.

247.  Chilenische  Gebiete  :  die  Osterinsel  und  Sala  y  Gomez.

248.  Deutsche  Gebiete  :  Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land,  die  Bismarckarchipel  und  der  Deutschen
Salomoninseln,  die  Karolinen,  die  Marianen,  die  Marshallinseln,  die  deutsche  Gilbertinsel  Nauru,
Deutsch  Samoa.

249.  Französische  Gebiete  :  Neukaledonien,  unter  einem  Gouverneur  (mit  einem  gewählten
Generalrate);  der  Kolonie  gehören  noch  einzelne  Inseln  an;  —  in  Ozeanien:  Gesellschaftsinseln.

250.  Großbritannische  Gebiete  (abgesehen  vom  Australischen  Bunde,  siehe  Nr.  251,  und
von  New  Zealand,  siehe  Nr.  252):  Neuguinea,  Fijiinseln,  Tongainseln  u.  a.  m.

251.  Commonwealth  of  Australia.

Constitution  Act.  (July  9,  1900.)
Von  Herrn  LOUIS  HAMILTON,  Lehrer  am  Kgl.  Orientalischen  Seminar  der  Universität  in  Berlin.

The  Australian  Federation  differs  in  important  respects  from  the  Canadian.  The  original
colonies  remain  self-governing  states,  with  governors  selected  by  and  corresponding  with  the
Secretary  of  State  for  the  Colonies.  The  federal  legislature,  like  that  of  the  United  States,  possesses
  only  those  powers  which  have  been  expressly  delegated  to  it,  and  the  members  of  the  Senate
are  elected  by  the  popular  vote  for  a  term  of  6  years  instead  of  being  nominated  by  the  Governor-General
  for  life  as  in  Canada.  The  Senate  consists  of  6  members  from  each  state,  on  the  same
franchise  as  in  the  case  of  members  as  the  House  of  Representatives.  The  House  of  Representetives
  has  twice  as  many  members  as  the  Senate,  and  the  number  of  members  for  each  state  is
in  proportion  to  its  population,  but  so  that  there  was  not  less  than  five  for  any  state.  Plural
voting  is  not  allowed.  The  general  powers  of  Parliament  are  39  in  number,  the  principal  of  which
are  to  make  laws  for  trade,  taxation,  borrowing,  postal  service,  defence,  currency,  insolvency,
marriage,  immigration  and  railways.  The  Commonwealth  took  over  from  the  states  the  posts
and  telegraphs,  but  not  the  railway.  It  fixes  and  receives  the  customs  duties,  which  are  now
uniform  in  the  states.  The  existing  public  debtse  remain  chargeable  to  the  states,  and  payas  ?/,
6f  the  proceeds  to  the  states,  but  may  be  taken  over  by  the  Commonwealth,

Whereas  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  Australian  Colonies  and  possessions  of  the  Queen:  -

'  "  175