cHAP. 1] THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 781 
for a Council which should deal with marine defences, the 
relations of Australia with the Pacific Islands, the influx of 
criminals, quarantine, and generally whatever topics were 
referred to it by the Legislatures of the Colonies. It was 
agreed that they could not then recommend a true federation, 
but this Council would serve a useful purpose. In July and 
August 1884, all the Colonies except New South Wales * and 
New Zealand agreed to the measure and adopted addresses 
to the Imperial Government, asking for an Act which in 
1885 became law as the Federal Council of Australasia Act? 
48 & 49 Vict. c. 60). 
The functions accorded to this remarkable body were 
limited * and the essential and most curious feature of all 
! Parkes had now definitely decided that federation should be allowed 
to come in a complete form, and that a Council would be a ‘rickety 
body ’. 
* Mr. James Bryce opposed the Bill in the Commons; Lord Carnarvon 
favoured it in the Lords. Leave was given to other Colonies to join, 
and the Crown was given power to increase the number of members, fixed 
at first at two for each self-governing and one for each Crown Colony. 
* It could legislate on the following subjects, and the Acts passed are 
mentioned in brackets :— 
1. Relations of Australasia with the islands of the Pacific. 
2. Prevention of the influx of criminals. 
3. Fisheries in Australasian waters beyond territorial limits (51 Vict. 
No. 1, Queensland ; 52 Viet. No. 1, Westera Australia). 
4. Service of civil process beyond the Colony in which it was issued 
(49 Vict. No. 3). 
5. Enforcement of judgements of any Colony beyond its limits (49 Vict. 
No. 4; 54 Vict. No. 1; 60 Vict. No. 2). 
6. Enforcement of criminal process beyond the Colony in which it was 
issued and extradition of offenders. 
7. Custody of offenders on vessels belonging to the Colonial Governments 
beyond territorial limits. 
8. Any matter referred to the Council by the Crown at the request of 
the Colonial Legislatures. 
9. Any matter of general Australasian interest referred to the Council 
by two or more Legislatures (Garrisons of Thursday Island and King 
George’s Sound, 56 Vict. No. 1; and Naturalization, 60 Vict. No. 1). 
10. Questions of the relations of two or more Colonies referred by the 
Governors with the assent of the Legislatures, 
Assent was to be expressed by the Governor of the Colony where the