5

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Qualifications of senator. 16. The qualifications of a senator shall be the same as those of a member of the House of Eepresentatives. Election of President. 17. The senate shall, before prooeeding to the despatch of any other business, chose a senator co be the President of the Seriate; and as often as the office of President become vacant the Senate shall again choose a senator to be the President. The President shall cease to hold his office if he ceases to be a senator. He may be removed from office by a vote of the Senate, or he may resign his office or his seat by writing addressed to the Governor-General. Absence of President. 18. Before or during any absence of the President, the Senate may choose a senator to perform his duties in his absence. Resignation of Senator. 19. A senator may, by writing addressed to the President, or to the Governor-General if there is no President or if the President is absent from the Commonwealth, resign his place, which thereupon shall become vacant. Vacancy by absence. 20. The place of a senator shall become vacant if for two consecutive months of any sesssion of the Parliament he, without the permission of the Senate, fails to attend the Senate. Vacancy to be notified. 21. Whenever a vacancy happens in the Senate, the President, or if there is no President or if the President is absent from the Commonwealth the Governor-General, shall notify the same to the Governor of the State in the representation of which the vacancy has happened. Quorum. 22. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, the presence of at least one-third of the whole number of the senators shall be necessary to constitute a meeting of the Seriate for the exercise of its powers. Voting in Senate. 23. Questions arising in the Senate shall be determined by a majority of votes, and each senator shall have one vote. The President shall in all cases be entitled to a vote ; and when the votes are equal the question shall pass in the negative. Part 111. —The House of Repbesentatives. Constitution of House of Representatives. 24. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members directly chosen by the people of the Commonwealth, and the number of such members shall be, as nearly as practicable, twice the number of the senators. The number of members chosen in the several States shall be in proportion to the respective numbers of their people, and shall, until the Parliament otherwise provides, be determined, whenever necessary, in the following manner : — (1.) A quota shall be ascertained by dividing the number of the people of the Commonwealth, as shown by the latest statistics of the Commonwealth, by twice the number of the senators. (2.) The number of members to be chosen in each State shall be determined by dividing the number of the people of the State, as shown by the latest statistics of the Commonwealth, by the quota; and if on such division there is a remainder greater than one-half of the quota, one more member shall be chosen in the State. But notwithstanding anything in this section, five members at least shall be chosen in each original State. Provision as to races disqualified from voting. 25. For the purposes of the last section, if by the law of any State all persons of any race are disqualified from voting at elections for the more numerous House of Parliament of the State, then, in reckoning the number of the people of the State or of the Commonwealth, persons of that race resident in that State shall not be counted. Representatives in first Parliament. 26. Notwithstanding anything in section twenty-four, the number of members to be chosen in each State at the first election shall be as follows : New South Wales, twenty-three; Victoria, twenty, Queensland, eight; South Australia, six ; Tasmania, five. Provided that if Western Australia is an Original State, the numbers shall be as follows: New South Wales, twenty-six; Victoria, twenty-three; Queensland, nine; South Australia, seven; Western Australia five ; Tasmania, five. Alteration of number of members. 27. Subject to this Constitution, the Parliament may make laws for increasing or diminishing the number of the members of the House of Representatives. Duration of House of Representatives. 28. Every House of Representatives shall continue for three years from the first meeting of the House, and no longer, but may be sooner dissolved by the Governor-General.