434 PARLIAMENTS OF THE DOMINIONS [PART II
suspended to secure its re-introduction and passing through
the House, only to be rejected by the Legislative Council.
Reservation of such Bills required by the Constitution was
abolished by the Australian States Constitution Act, 1907.
In the case of Victoria! absolute majorities are also
required on the second and third readings in each House
of Bills for constitutional alterations in the Houses under the
Act of 1855. Even in the case of Western Australia 2 pro-
visions were inserted in the local Act which provided that
no change in the constitution of the Legislative Council or
the Legislative Assembly could be effected unless the second
and third readings of the Bill were passed with the con-
currence of an absolute majority of the whole number of the
members for the time being of the Legislative Council and
the Legislative Assembly respectively. Moreover, it was
required that there should be reserved by the Governor for the
signification of the royal pleasure every Bill which so provided
for the election of the Legislative Council before the date
fixed by Part III of the Act in question, and every Bill
which interfered with the operation of s. 59 (dealing with
the Civil List), s. 70 (dealing with the appropriation for
aborigines), s. 71 (dealing with compensation to officers who
lost office on political grounds), and s. 72 (dealing with
charges on the consolidated funds which secured certain
rights to ex-civil servants), and Schedules B, C, and D
{comprising the Civil List, the grant for aborigines, and the
political pensions), and the section itself. The rules as to
reservation disappeared in 1907.3
These provisions as to majorities, and as to procedure on re-
servation are still valid, and the inconvenience caused in the
latter case may be illustrated by the fact that an Act of 1897
'61 Vict. No. 7) passed in Western Australia, to alter the posi-
18 & 19 Viet. c. 55, sched. s. 60. The reservation also provided for in
she Act disappeared under the Imperial Act of 1907.
' 53 & 54 Vict. ¢. 26, sched. s. 73.
" The Redistribution of Seats Act No. 6 of 1911 actually includes a clause
providing that it cannot be changed save by absolute majorities in both
Houses.
