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( .) Any matter which Her Majesty by Order in Council shall think fit to refer to the Council. (h.) Such of the following matters as may be referred to the Council by the Legislatures of any two or more colonies—that is to say, general defences, quarantine, patents of invention and discovery, copyright, bills of exchange and promissory notes, uniformity of weights and measures, recognition in other colonies of any marriage or divon..:.; duly solemnized or decreed in any colony, naturalization of aliens, status of coporations and. joint-stock companies in other colonies than that in which they have been constituted, and any other matter of general Australasian interest with respect to which the Legislatures of the several colonies can legislate within their own limits, and as to which it is deemed desirable that there should be a law of general application: Provided that in such cases the Acts of the Council shall extend only to the colonies by whose Legislatures the matter shall have been so referred to it, and such other colonies as may afterwards adopt the same. Every Bill in respect of the matters marked (a), (V), or (c), shall, unless previously approved by Her Majesty through one of her Principal Secretaries of State, be reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure. 16. The Governors of any two or more of the colonies may, upon an Address of the Legislatures of such colonies, refer, for the consideration and determination of the Council, any questions relating to those colonies or their relations with one another, and the Council shall thereupon have authority to consider and determine by Act of Council the matters so referred to it. 17. Every Bill passed by the Council shall be presented, for Her Majesty's assent, to the Governor of the colony in which the Council shall be sitting, who shall declare, according to his discretion, but subject to the provisions of this Act and to Her Majesty's instructions, either that he assents thereto in Her Majesty's name, or that he withholds such assent, or that he reserves the Bill for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure, or that he will be prepared to assent thereto, subject to certain amendments to be specified by him. 18. When the Governor assents to a Bill in Her Majesty's name, he shall, by the first convenient opportunity, send an authentic copy of the Act to one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, and if Her Majesty, within one year after receipt thereof by the Secretary of State, thinks fit to disallow the Act, such disallowance (with a certificate of the Secretary of State of the day on which the Act was received by him) being signified by such Governor by message to the Council, or by Proclamation in the Government Gazette, of all the colonies affected thereby, shall annul the Act from and after the day of such signification. 19. A Bill reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure shall not have any force unless and until, within one year from the day on which it was presented to the Governor for Her Majesty's assent, such Governor signifies, by message to the Council, or by Proclamation published as last aforesaid, that it has received the assent of Her Majesty. 20. All Acts of the Council, on being assented to in manner hereinbefore provided, shall have the force of law in all Her Majesty's possessions in Australia in respect to which this Act is in operation, or in the several colonies to which they shall extend, as the case may be, and on board all British ships other than Her Majesty's ships of war, whose last port of clearance or port of destination is in any such possession or colony 21. Every Act assented to in the first instance shall be proclaimed in the Government Gazette of the colony in which the session of the Council at which it was passed was held, and shall also be transmitted by the Governor assenting thereto to the Governors of the several colonies affected thereby, and shall be proclaimed by them within the respective colonies of which they are Governors. 22. If in any case the provisions of any Act of the Council shall be repugnant to, or inconsistent with, the law of any colony affected thereby, the former shall prevail, and the latter shall, so far as such repugnancy or inconsistency extends, have no operation. 23. The Council may from time to time make and adopt such standing rules and orders as may be necessary for the conduct of its business, and all such rules and orders shall be binding on the members of the Council. 24. The Council may appoint temporary '©r permanent Committees of its members to perform such duties, whether during the session of the Council or when the Council is not in session, as may be referred to them by the Council. 25. The Council may appoint such officers and servants as may be necessary for the proper conduct of its business, and may direct the payment to them of such remuneration as it may think fit. 26. The necessary expenditure atfarrod by connected with the business of the Council shall be defrayed in the first instance by the colony wherein the expenditure is incurred, and shall be ultimately contributed and paid by the several colonies in proportion to their population. If any Act of the Council involves expenditure the Council may provide therein that such expenditure shall be contributed and paid by the several colonies in proportion to their population. The amounts payable by the several colonies shall be assessed and apportioned, in case of difference, by the Governor of the Colony of Tasmania. 27. It shall be the duty of the Governor of each colony to direct the payment by the Colonial Treasurer or other proper officer of the colony of the amount of the contribution payable by such colony under the provisions of the preceding section. 28. Whenever it shall be necessary to prove the proceedings of the Council in any Court of justice, or otherwise, a certified copy of such proceedings under the hand of the clerk or other officer appointed in that behalf by the Council shall be conclusive evidence of the proceedings appearing by such copy to have been had or taken.