745

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Constitution and Government.

The administration of "Western Australia — the only colony to ■which convicts from Great Britain continue to be transported — is under a Governor appointed by the Crown, who is assisted by an Executive Council composed of certain office-holders, namely, the senior officer in command of the forces, the Colonial Secretary, the Comptroller-General of Convicts, the Surveyor- General, the Attorney-General, and the Treasurer and Collector of Internal Eevenue. There is also a Legislative Council, composed, including the Governor, of six official and six unofficial members. The official members are the Governor, the Commander of the Forces, the Colonial Secretary, the Surveyor- General, the Attorney-General, and the Treasurer and Collector of Internal Eevenue. The unofficial members were formerly appointed by the Crown, on the recommen- dation of the Governor, but are in future to be elected by the inhabitants of the colony.

Governor of Western Axistralia. — Frederick Aloysius Weld, for- merly Minister of Native Affairs, and Colonial Treasurer of New Zealand ; appointed Governor of Western Australia April 7, 1869.

The Governor has a salary of 2,500/. per annum.

Revenue and Expenditure.

The revenue and expenditure of the colony during the six years from 1863 to 1868 were as follows: —

Years

Revenue

Expenditure

1863 1864 1865 1366 1867 1868

£ 71,708 71.911 77,942 89,383 90,430 99,495

& 71,073 70.715 74,985 84,652 89,501

89,726