rate of £240 per annum, but £2 per day for every sitting day exceeding five is deducted on account of absence during the session not due to illness or other unavoidable cause. To be qualified for membership of the House of Representatives a person must be of the male sex, duly registered on the electoral roll, and free from the disabilities mentioned in Section 8 of the Electoral Act of 1893. All contractors to the public service of New Zealand to whom any public money above the sum of £50 is payable, directly or indirectly, in any one financial year, as well as civil servauts of the colony, are incapable of being elected, or of sitting and voting as members. Every man or woman of the full age of 21 years, who is either a natural-born or naturalised British subject, and resident in the colony one year, and three months in one electoral district, is qualified to be registered as an elector and vote at elections of members for the House of Representatives. In the Maori districts, adult Maoris are entitled to vote without registration. Under the provisions of the Electoral Act of 1893, the franchise is extended to women of both races in accordance with the qualifications specified above, but women may not be elected as members of the House of Representatives. No person may be represented on more than one electoral roll. The Act also provides that the name of every qualified elector who fails to record his vote shall be removed from the roll after the election. Since the passing of the Constitution Act conferring representative institutions upon the colony of New Zealand there have been thirteen complete Parliaments. The first Parliament was opened on the 27th May, 1854, and dissolved on the 15th September, 1855, and the thirteenth opened on the 7th April, and dissolved on the 24th October, 1899. The first session of the fourteenth Parliament opened on the 22nd June, 1900. At the general election for the first Parliament, which took place in 1853, the population of the colony numbered 30,000, and the electors on the roll 5,934. At the last general election for the House of Representatives, in December, 1899, the electors on the roll numbered 373,744, of whom 163,215 were females. In the contested districts the male and female electors numbered 202,089 and 157,929 respectively, and the number of male voters was 159,780, or 79 per cent. of males enrolled, while 119,550, or 75.6 per cent., of the female electors recorded their votes. 328 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE FOR AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA. DATES of events following the establishment of a settlement in New South Wales : 1788 N.S.W. First fleet arrives at Botany Bay.-Formal possession taken of Sydney Cove.-Proclamation of the Colony by Governor Phillip. Settlement founded at Norfolk Island; expedition Bligh visits Van Diemen's Land in the "Bounty.' Second fleet arrives with the New South Wales Corps. D'Entrecasteaux visits Fowler's Bay. D'Entrecasteaux explores the north-east coast. D'Entrecasteaux explores the south-west coast. Settlement of the Hawkesbury.-Arrival of Captain Hunter. Circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Land by Flinders. Flinders explores the north coast.--Wilson penetrates to the Flinders makes explorations on the east coast. Governor Hunter recalled, superseded by Philip Gidley King. Lieutenant Grant sights Cape Northumberland. The whole of the western coast examined by Baudin. Flinders examines the south coast. Discovery of Port Phillip by Murray.-Exploration of Port Flinders explores Spencer's and St. Vincent's Gulfs, and meets Baudin surveys the east coast. N.S.W. First wool sent to England. 1803 Vic. Tas. 1804 N.S. W. Vic. Tas. Lieut.-Colonel David Collins founds a settlement at Port Phillip. The Castle Hill convict insurrection.-Abandonment of Norfolk Foundation of the Van Diemen's Land colonies.-Collins founds 1805 N.S.W. Macarthur starts extensive sheep farming at Camden. Norfolk Island colonists settled at New Norfolk, Norfolk Plains, etc. 1806 N.S.W. Severe floods in the Hunter.-Governor King retires and is succeeded by Captain Bligh. Tas. N.S. W. 1807 1808 1809 1810 N.S. W. Tas. 1811 Tas. Launceston founded. Orders given for final shipment of convicts from Norfolk Island. 254 settlers from Norfolk Island receive grants of land. Death of Collins.-Extreme scarcity of provisions; prisoners Governor Macquarie visits Van Diemen's Land.-Hobart Town laid out.-Lieut.-Colonel Davey appointed Governor.-Van Diemen's Land made a single colony. 1813 N.S.W. Passage across Blue Mountains discovered by Blaxland, Wentworth, and Lawson. 1814 The name of "Australia" given on the recommendation of Flinders to the great southern continent hitherto known as "New Holland. N.S.W. Creation of Civil Courts.-Hamilton Hume discovers the Berrima and Goulburn districts. Tas. 1815 N.S. W. Tas. First Law Courts established; jurisdiction limited to personal matters under the value of £50.-Outrages by bushrangers. Governor Macquarie lays out the town of Bathurst. Arrival of first immigrant ship with free settlers.-Coastal explorations of Captain James Kelly.-First exportation of wheat to Sydney. 1816 N.S.W. Establishment of Bank of New South Wales. 1817 N.S.W.Oxley explores the interior. Q'ld. 1818-22 W.A. 1818 N.S. W. 1819 N.S. W. 1820 Tas. 1821 N.S. W. 1823 N.S.W. Q'ld. Tas. Lieutenant King surveys the eastern coast. Lieutenant-Governor Davey retires, and Colonel William Sorell Lieutenant King surveys the whole western coast. Commissioner Bigge inquires into the condition of the colony. Governor Macquarie recalled.--Sir Thomas Brisbane appointed. The first Australian Constitution. -Explorations by Cunning- 1824 N.S.W. Freedom of the Press proclaimed.-Trial by jury introduced.First Land Regulations.-Hume and Hovell explore southward. Vic. Q'ld. Tas. 1825 N.S.W. Q'ld. Tas. W.A. Hume and Hovell travel overland from Sydney to Port Phillip. Outbreak of convicts at Macquarie Harbour.-Governor Sorell Captain Logan appointed Superintendent of Moreton Bay. Military station established at King George's Sound. 1826 N.S.W. Darling River discovered by Sturt.-Explorations by Cunningham. 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 Vic. Q'ld. Tas. N.S.W. N.S.W. Vic. S.A. Q'ld. Tas. W.A. Fort Dumaresq founded at Western Port. The colony becomes self-supporting.-Feverish speculation in Cunningham discovers the Darling Downs. Second Constitution. The Western Port settlers return to Sydney. Cunningham discovers a route from Moreton Bay to the Darling Founding of the Swan River settlement, Captain Stirling in Sturt's overland journey to the south.-Rising of convicts near Bathurst. The Bushrangers Act passed through all its stages in one day. Explorations by Sturt. Sturt discovers Lake Alexandrina. Logan murdered by convicts.-Captain Clunie succeeds to the administration of the settlement. Commission to inquire into condition of natives.-George Robinson undertakes to secure the submission of surviving blacks. --The Black Line. Constitution of first Executive Council. N.S.W. Governor Darling superseded by Sir Richard Bourke.-Lord Ripon's Land Regulations.--Sir Thomas Mitchell's explorations to the north of Liverpool Plains. S.A. Tas. W.A. W. A. W.A. Wakefield's first colonisation committee formed.--Captain Collet Minimum price of land fixed at 5s. per acre by Lord Ripon's Route from Perth to King George's Sound discovered by Captain Irwin undertakes the Administration of the Settlement. N.S.W. Trouble at Norfolk Island. Vic. S.A. W.A. Settlement of the brothers Henty at Portland Bay. South Australian Association founded.-The South Australian The Battle of "Pinjarrah."-Sir James Stirling appointed N.S.W. Mitchell, on his second expedition, establishes the depôt of Vic. Qld. Tas. Fort Bourke on the Darling. Expeditions of Batman and Fawkner to Port Phillip. Captain Fyans succeeds Captain Clunie.-First ship enters Native settlement formed at Flinders' Island. W.A. The Western Australian Association formed in London.— Memorial against Lord Ripon's regulations addressed to the British Government. N.S.W. Mitchell explores the South.-Squatting formally recognised. 1837 S.A. Q'ld. Vic. S.A. Q'ld. Tas. Proclamation of Port Phillip District as open for settlement.- Founding of South Australia, with Captain Hindmarsh as first Visit of Backhouse and Walker. Governor Arthur recalled. Governor Bourke resigns.-Select Committee on Transportation Sites of Melbourne and Williamstown laid out by Governor First newspaper published in the colony.-Eyre drives a mob of Major Cotton supersedes Captain Fyans. The Governorship assumed by Sir John Franklin. W.A. Explorations by Grey and Lushington in the north-west. 1838 N.S.W. Discontinuance of the assignment system.—Arrival of Governor Vic. S.A. Gipps.-Speculative mania sets in. First census of the settlement (population, 3,511). Governor Hindmarsh, recalled, is succeeded by Colonel Gawler.- Q'ld. Abolition of assignment system.Explorations of the Petries.— 1839 N.S.W. Execution of seven stock men for participation in a massacre of blacks.-Count Strzelecki finds traces of gold near Hartley. Appointment of Superintendent La Trobe.-First wool ship leaves for England. Vic. W.A. Governor Stirling succeeded by John Hutt.-Grey's second exploring expedition in the north. 1840 N.S.W. Abolition of transportation to New South Wales. -Important Land Regulations (proceeds of land sales to be regarded as a Trust for the benefit of the colony which produces them, and to be expended in the maintenance of its public works, and the encouragement of immigration). Vic. S.A. First Land Regulations; soon nullified at Port Phillip by Q'ld. Suspension of transportation.-Break-up of the Penal Settle- Tas. 1840-51 N.S. W. 1841 N.S. W. S.A. Depression of varying intensity. Rev. W. B. Clarke finds grains of alluvial gold near Bathurst. Q'ld. Explorations by the Russells. Tas. Transportation, which had been discontinued for some time, now W.A. Eyre completes his journey overland from Adelaide to King |