616 PARLIAMENTS OF THE DOMINIONS [parr iil
the legislative machinery of the state to a temporary stand-
still on no less than four different occasions.
In reporting further on August 5, 1878 the Governor
mentioned that in 1874 Mr. Francis’s Ministry introduced
a Bill to provide that if a measure were passed by the
Legislative Assembly in two consecutive ordinary sessions,
and shall fail to pass through the next Legislative Council,
the Governor might prorogue Parliament, and within sixty
and after not less than thirty days convene a meeting of
both Houses to deal with the measure, and such measure
could then be passed with or without amendments by an
absolute majority of the members of both Houses. It had
been the original intention of his ministers to propose the
substitution in Victoria of a nominee Council on the plan
which had worked well in New South Wales, New Zealand,
and Queensland, but this was not popular in the country
and had been abandoned.
The Bill which was introduced by the Government pro-
posed, in the case of money and tax Bills, that if a money
Bill or tax Bill was not passed within a month by the Council
it should be deemed to be passed, and that the fifty-sixth
section of the Constitution should be amended by omitting
the power there given to the Legislative Council to reject
a money Bill. A definition was proposed of Bills to which
the fifty-sixth section should relate, to include every Annual
Appropriation Bill and every Ways and Means Bill, and any
Bill of which the primary object should be the appro-
priating of any part of the revenue of Victoria or the imposing
of any duty, rate, tax, rent, return, or impost. Neverthe-
less, the Legislative Council could, within the month, make
suggestions which the Assembly could accept if it desired.
In the case of all other Bills which should be passed by the
Assembly in two consecutive annual sessions, and rejected
in each by the Legislative Council, it should become law,
unless indeed the Bill should be rejected at a general poll
of the electors for the Assembly. No Bills should be sub-
* Parl. Pap., C. 2217, p. 4; Rusdon, Australia, iii. 386 seq. The Bill did
not obtain an absolute majority in the Assembly. Cf. 1&2 Geo. V.c. 13.5. 1.
