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2-29,710 111 the year 1897. The submarine cable to the Australian continent carried 1 15, 270 messages in 1897. There are also 570 miles of telephone wire, with exchanges at New Norfolk, Hohart, Launccstnn, and Zeelian. The revenue uf the Government telegraph and telephone system was 19,308/. in 1897.

The number of letters carried by the Post Office in the year 1897 was 7,906,506 ; of i)ackets, 2,278,082 ; of newspapers, 5,095,792 ; and post-cards, 257,878. The Post Office revenue in 1897 was 58,099/., ami the expenditure of Post and Telegraph Departments was in 1896, 65,268/. There were 336 post-offices in 1897, 709 officers, 2,718 miles of post roads, and 1,272,545 miles travelled.

Agent'Gencralin London. — Hon. Sir P. Fysh, K.C\ M.G.

C'hirf C/^r^t-.— Herbert W. Ely.

Books of Reference.

Annual SUitistical Ro^tistcr and Blue Book. Census of Tasmania, ISJl. llobart, 1892. Crown Lands Guide.

Fenton (James), History of Tasmania. Hobart, 1884. Johnston {B,. M.), Handbook of Tasmania. Annual. Hobart.

Just (T. C), Tasmaniana: a Description of the Island and its Resources. Launceston, 1879.

Lloyd (Geo. Thomas), Thirty-three Years in Tasmania and Victoria. 8. London, 1862. RuadeniG. W.), The History of Australia. 3 vols. London, 1883. Tasmania and its A[ineral Wealth. Melbourne, 1898. Progress of tlie Mineral Industry of Tasmania.

VICTORIA.

Constitution and Government.

The Constitution of Victoria was established by an Act passed by the Legislature of the colony in 1854, to which the assent of the Crown was given, in pursuance of the power granted by the Act of the Imperial Parliament of 18 & 19 Vict. cap. 55. The legislative authority is vested in a Parliament of two Chambers : the Legisla- tive Council, composed of forty-eight members, and the Legislative Assembly, composed of ninety-live members. Members of the former must be in possession of an estate of the annual value of 100/. ; and electors must be in the possession or occupancy of property of the rateable value of 10/. per annum if derived from freehold, or of 25/. if derived from leasehold or the occupation of rented property. No electoral property qualification is required for graduates of British universities, matriculated students of the Melbourne University, ministers of religion of any denomination, certiticate4 schoolmasters, la wyers,medical practitioners, and officers of the army and navy not in active service. About one-third of the members of the Legislative Council must retire every two years. The members of the Legislative Assembly require no property qualifi- cation, and are elected by universal manhood suffrage, for the term of three years. Clergymen of any religious denomination are not allowed to hold seats in either the Legislative Council or the Legislative Assembly.