CHAP. 1] ORIGIN AND HISTORY 31 
by both Houses of the said Legislature, setting forth the 
question so to be determined : Provided that all such Bills 
shall be absolutely in abeyance pending any such deter- 
mination, and that they shall be afterwards submitted for 
the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure thereon, or 
remitted to the Colony for the exercise of the Governor’s 
discretion, according to the decision of the Judicial Com- 
mittee in each such case, 
The Imperial Government were unable to accept the 
clauses in question, and they accordingly omitted them in 
confirming the Act by the Imperial Act 18 & 19 Vict. c. 54. 
They further inserted provisions permitting the altera- 
tion of the constitution by the new Legislature, and made 
certain minor alterations. The Governor was also instructed 
that he was not required to reserve Bills of local interest 
merely, nor even Bills affecting the Civil List save so far as 
the Bills in question affected existing holders of office, whose 
interests were to be respected. At the same time another 
Act (c. 56) was passed to repeal the laws regarding the 
management of the Crown lands in Australia, completing 
the concession granted by the Constitution Act, and steps 
were taken to vest the administration of the Government, 
in the case of absence or incapacity of the Governor, in the 
Chief Justice, the President of the Legislative Council, and 
the Colonial Secretary jointly, since under the new arrange- 
ments the Colonial Secretary would be a political officer. 
The constitution was received gladly in the Colony, and the 
Governor found only inconvenience in the desire of the 
existing officers who were liable to retire on political grounds 
claiming to be allowed to retire forthwith, without waiting 
for the political grounds to take effect, a course which he 
and the judges whom he consulted declared that they could 
not do if they wished to secure the pensions provided for 
them.1 
In the case of Victoria an Imperial Act, 18 & 19 Vict. 
¢. 55, confirmed the constitution, amending it in the same 
sense ag the similar Act for New South Wales, and the same 
instructions were addressed to the Governor as to not 
1 Parl. Pap., July 24, 1856, pp. 15 seq.