V.  Australien.  1416  252.  New  Zealand.

State  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  or  increasing,  diminishing,  or  otherwise  altering
  the  limits  of  the  State,  or  in  any  manner  affecting  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution
  in  relation  thereto  shall  become  law  unless  the  majority  of  the  eleotors  voting
in  that  State  approve  the  proposed  law.

Schedule.
OÖath.

I,  A.  B.,  do  swear  that  I  will  be  faithful  and  bear  true  allegiance  to  Her  Majesty
Queen  Victoria,  Her  heirs  and  successors  according  to  law.  So  help  me  God!

Affirmation.

I,  A.  B.,  do  solemnly  and  sincerely  affirm  and  declare  that  I  will  be  faithful
and  bear  true  allegiance  to  Her  Majesty  Queen  Victoria,  Her  heirs  and  successors
according  to  law.

252.  New  Zealand.

Von  Herrn  LOUIS  HAMILTON,  Lehrer  am  Orientalischen  Seminar  der  Kgl.  Universität  in  Berlin.

Dominion  of  New  Zealand  Constitution.

British  sovereignty  was  proclaimed  over  New  Zealand  in  January,  1840,  and  the  country
became  a  dependency  of  New  South  Wales  until  3rd  May,  1841,  when  it  was  made  a  separate
Colony.  The  Government  of  the  Colony  was  at  first  vested  in  the  Governor,  who  was  responsible
only  to  the  Crown;  but  in  1852  an  Act  granting  representative  institutions  to  the  colony  was
passed  by  the  Imperial  Legislature.  Under  it  the  constitution  of  a  General  Assembly  for  the
whole  colony  was  provided  for,  to  consist  of  a  Legislative  Council,  the  members  of  which  were
to  be  nominated  by  the  Governor,  and  of  an  elective  House  of  Representatives.  The  first  session
of  the  General  Assembly  was  opened  on  the  27th  May  1854,  but  the  members  of  the  Executive
were  not  responsible  to  Parliament.  The  first  Ministers  under  a  system  of  Responsible  Goverument
  were  appointed  in  the  year  1856.  By  the  Act  of  1852  the  Colony  was  divided  into
6  provinces,  each  to  be  presided  over  by  an  elective  Superintendent,  and  to  have  an  elective
Provincial  Council,  empowered  to  legislate  except  on  certain  specified  subjecte.  The  franchise
amounted  practically  to  household  suffrage.  In  each  case  the  election  was  for  4  years.  The
Provincial  Governments  afterwards  increased  to  9  remained  as  integral  parts  of  the  Constitution
of  the  colony  until  the  ist  November,  1876,  when  they  were  abolished  by  an  Act  of  the  General
Assembly  which  subdivided  the  colony  (exclusive  of  the  areas  included  within  municipalitiee)
into  counties,  and  established  a  system  of  local  county  Government,  came  into  force.  By  an
Order  in  Council  dated  9th  September,  1907,  the  King  was  pleased  to  change  the  style  and
designation  of  the  Colony  of  New  Zealand  to  the  Dominion  of  New  Zealand.

Cap.  LXXI.  An  Act  to  grant  a  Representative  Constitution  to  the  Colony  of  New
Zealand.
(30th  June  1852.)
Whereas  by  an  Act  of  the  Session  holden  in  the  Third  and  Fourth  Years
of  Her  Majesty,  Chapter  Sixty-two,  it  was  enacted,  that  it  should  be  lawful  for  Her
Majesty,  by  Letters  Patent,  to  be  from  Time  to  Time  issued  under  the  Great  Seal