Majesty's sloop Fly, who drew up the laws by which the inhabitants have since been governed. The authority is vested in a Chief Magistrate, elected every year by the votes of all above 18 years of age, aided by two Councillors, one elected by the votes of the people, the other nominated by the magistrate. The magistrate swears allegiance to Her Majesty.

The appeal in cases of dispute is to the captain of the first Queen's ship visiting the island.

ACTS OF THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT RELATING TO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AMERICAN DEPENDENCIES.

1806

1808

1820

1825

1832

(July 3.) 46 Geo. III. cap. 80.-An Act to provide for the more effectual examination of accounts of the expenditure of the public money in the West Indies, and for the better discovery of frauds and abuses therein.

(June 23.) 48 Geo. III. cap. 91.-An Act for enabling the Commissioners appointed to examine accounts of public expenditure in the West Indies more effectually to investigate the said accounts.

(July 14.) 4 Geo. IV. cap. 50.-An Act to carry into effect certain licences permitting the removal of negro slaves from the Bahama Islands to Deme

rara.

(July 5.) 6 Geo. IV. cap. 88.-An Act to make provision for the salaries of certain bishops and other ecclesiastical dignitaries and ministers in the dioceses of Jamaica, Barbados, and the Leeward Islands, and to enable His Majesty to grant annuities to such bishops on the resignation of their offices. (Amended by 7 Geo. IV. cap. 4.)

(August 16.) 2 & 3 Will. IV. cap. 125.-An Act for enabling His Majesty to direct the issue of Exchequer bills to a limited amount for the purposes and

1333

1836

1838

1842

1843

1844

1848

1850

in the manner therein mentioned, and for giving relief to Trinidad, British Guiana, and St. Lucia. (Amended by 5 & 6 Will. IV. cap. 51, and 3 & 4 Vict. cap. 40.)

3 & 4 Will. IV. cap. 73.-An Act for the abolition of slavery.

(June 7.) 6 & 7 Will. IV. cap. 17.—An Act to make provision for the better administration of justice in certain of His Majesty's West India Colonies.

(August 4.) 1 & 2 Vict. cap. 67.-An Act for the better government of prisons in the West Indies.

(August 14.) 1 & 2 Vict. cap. 92.-An Act to repeal the 4 per centum (or West India) duties. (March 23.) 5 Vict. (Sess. 2.) cap. 4.-An Act to provide for the increase in the number of bishoprics and archdeaconries in the West Indies, and to amend the several Acts relating thereto.

(August 22.) 6 & 7 Vict. cap. 63.-An Act for granting relief to the islands of Antigua, St. Kitt's, Nevis, Montserrat, and Dominica.

(August 24.) 6 & 7 Vict. cap. 87.-An Act for raising £11,132,000 by Exchequer bills, for the service of the year 1843, and for amending an Act for granting relief to certain islands in the West Indies.

(June 6.) 7 Vict. cap. 19.-An Act for giving additional powers to the Commissioners for the relief of certain of Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations in the West Indies.

(June 9.) 11 Vict. cap. 22.-An Act for granting relief to the island of Tobago, and for aiding the Colonies of British Guiana and Trinidad in raising money for the promotion of the immigration of free labourers.

(September 5.) 11 & 12 Vict. cap. 130.-An Act for guaranteeing the interest on such loans, not exceeding £500,000, as may be raised by the British Colonies on the continent of South America and the West Indies for certain purposes. (Amended by 16 Vict. cap. 4.)

(May 31.) 13 Vict. cap. 15.-An Act to authorise the establishment of Courts of Appeal for certain of Her Majesty's West India Colonies.

CHAPTER VI.

AUSTRALASIAN DEPENDENCIES.

I.—AUSTRALIA or NEW HOLLAND, comprising NEW SOUTH WALES, VICTORIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, and WESTERN AUS

TRALIA.

II. TASMANIA and NORFOLK ISLAND.

III.-NEW ZEALAND, including the CHATHAM and AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

AUSTRALIA.

I. NEW SOUTH WALES.

EW SOUTH WALES (as defined by section 46 of

NEW

the Provincial Act embodied in statute 18 & 19 Vict. cap. 54) comprises "all that portion of Australia which is situate between the meridians of 129° and 154° E. longitude, and northward of the 40th parallel of S. latitude, save and except the territories comprised within the boundaries of the Colonies of South Australia and Victoria."

The Colony of New South Wales, subject to certain powers of subdivision reserved to the Imperial Parliament, now comprises an area of 680,000 square miles, exceeding that of the united territories of France, Austria, and Turkey.

The continent of Australia was discovered by a French Commander early in the 16th century, afterwards visited at various times by Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and English ships, and was first colonised in 1788, in pursuance of statute 24 Geo. III. cap. 56. By that Act His Majesty in Council was empowered to appoint to what place beyond the seas either within or without His Majesty's dominions, offenders (who from 1619 till the commencement of the War of Independence in 1774, had been chiefly exiled to America*) should be transported. By two Orders in Council, dated December 6, 1786, the eastern coast of Australia, and the adjacent islands were fixed on as the places of banishment, in consequence of the report of Captain Cook who had visited the country in 1770.

Between 1788 and 1840, about 80,000 convicts were sent from this country to New South Wales, under a system organised and regulated by various Acts of Parliament and Orders in Council framed under their provisions.

By one of these Orders, dated September 4, 1848, the system of inter-colonial transportation by virtue of which New South Wales had been up to that time a receptacle for offenders from other Colonies, was discontinued, so far as New South Wales was concerned. The system of transportation from the United Kingdom continued, nevertheless, until 1851, when, by Order in Council, dated June 25 in that year, so much of

* Vide Chapter VII., on Transportation.

the then subsisting laws and regulations on the subject as related to the Colony of New South Wales and its Dependencies was revoked, and from that date transportation to New South Wales altogether ceased.

In the meantime the Civil Government of the Colony had undergone various changes. Till 1843, absolute authority was vested in successive Governors sent out from England, aided by Executive Councils. In 1843, in pursuance of statute 5 & 6 Vict. cap. 76, in addition to the Executive Council (then composed of the Commander of the Forces, the Colonial Secretary and Treasurer, and the Attorney-General appointed by the Crown), a Legislative Council was established, comprising, besides the above-named officials, the Collector of Customs, and Auditor-General, and 6 non-official members, appointed by the Governor, and confirmed by the Crown, also 24 elected members, making in all 36. The southern or Port Philip district was to be represented by 6 of the 24 elected members; New South Wales proper by the remainder.

The next change in the constitution of New South Wales was effected by the provisions of statute 13 & 14 Vict. cap. 59, which received the royal assent August 5, 1850. By that Act, which severed the southern, now the Colony of Victoria, from the northern district, and defined the geographical boundaries of each, the then Governor and Council of New South Wales were empowered to establish electoral divisions in both districts, and to fix the number of members of which the new Councils in each should consist, provided that