1016 ADMINISTRATION AND LEGISLATION [PART V 
with the views of the Secretary of State would soon find 
that he had not any longer any useful function to play as 
Governor-General. 
In all cases in which a Bill is reserved in Canada, New 
Zealand, the Commonwealth, and the Union of South Africa. 
the timeallowed for the assent being given, by Orderin Council, 
is two years (one year in the case of the Union) from the date 
on which it was presented for the royal assent to the Governor. 
This was also the case in the Cape and in the Transvaal and 
the Orange River Colony Constitutions, but in Natal the 
time was left undefined. In the case of the six Australian 
states the provisions of the Act of 1842, revived by the Act 
of 1907, provide for two years in the case of Bills reserved 
under the provisions contained in the Act of 1907, but it is 
doubtful whether these provisions apply to Bills reserved 
ander the instructions merely ; in my opinion they do not, 
and if that is so the Bills so reserved can be assented to at 
any time, unless it is held that the old Act still applies to 
such cases, which is difficult and doubtful. Tt may be 
added that it is difficult to say if any Bill is reserved under 
that Act or under the general instructions unless it is clearly 
stated by the Governor when he reserves, as was done by 
the Governor in reserving the Queensland Bill of 1908 for 
settling the deadlocks between the Houses of Parliament. 
Even if wrongly declared so to be reserved, the Bill will 
require to be assented to in two years in such cases. On 
several occasions instructions to assent have already been 
applied for and given, as, for example, in the case of the 
South Australian Constitution Act of 1910, and the Western 
Australia, Electoral Act of the year 1911. 
In Newfoundland there is no express provision for reserva- 
tion, though the Governor is forbidden to assent to certain 
classes of Bills, and therefore it may be doubted whether 
any right of reservation, which is a very curious power, exists. 
Very possibly the power does not,! and in fact the mode of 
* A Governor can of course delay assent for a reference (frequently 
telegraphic) home. But that is a different thing from abnegating the right 
bo assent and reserving the matter for the royal assent. But if he did