Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/647

 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 62 1 APPENDIX E The Commonwealth of Austraha Constitution Act CHAPTER 12 An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia. [July 9th, 1900.] WHERKAS 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 IMajesty, 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. igoo. Short title. 2. The provisions of this .^ct referring to the (Jueen shall extend to Her jMaiesty's heirs and Act to extend to the ^ o V, J y (^ueen s sticcessors. successors in the sovereignty of the United Kingdom. 3. It shall be lawful for the Queen, with the advice of the Privy Council, to declare by Pi«iamation of proclamation that, on and after a day 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 the people of Western Australia have agresd 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. 4. The Commonwealth shall be established, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth shall take Conmieneeinent of Act. 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. ^. 1 his Act, and all laws made by the Parliament of the Commonwealth under the Constitution opeiation of the " . ' Constitution and laws. shall be binding on the courts, judges, and people of every State, and of every part ot 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 e.xcepted, whose first pott of clearance and whose port of destination are in the Commonwealth. 6. "The Commonwealth" shall mean the Commonwealth of Australia as established under DeBnitions. this Act.