Members Credentials.

The members of the Council presented their credentials proving that they had been appointed by their various Governments, together with copies of the oath of allegiance to the Queen, taken before the respective Governors, which were read by Mr. Nowell. That of Queensland, which was the most extended, was as follows:—

Victoria, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdon of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, defender of the faith and so forth:—

To our trusty and well beloved . . . . Greeting.

Whereas by an Act of Parliament of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland passed in the forty-ninth year of our reign, and intituled "An Act to constitute a Federal Council of Australasia," it was enacted that there should be in and for our possessions in Australasia a Federal Council constituted, as by the said Act is provided, and called the Federal Council of Australasia, and that each of our Australasian colonies should be represented in the said Federal Council by two members, except in the case of Crown colonies, and by the said Act it was further enacted that the Legislature of any colony might make such provisions as it should think fit for the appointment of the representatives of that colony, and for determining the tenure of their office; and further, that the said Act should not come into operation in respect of any colony until the Legislature or such colony should have passed an Act or ordinance declaring that the same should be in force therein, and appointing a day on and from which such operation should take effect, nor until four colonies at the least should have passed such an Act or ordinance: And whereas by an Act of the Legislature of our colony of Queensland, passed in the 49th year of our reign, and styled the Federal Council (Adopting) Act, 1885, Queensland, it was declared and enacted that the said recited Act should come into operation and be in force in our said colony of Queensland on and from the first day of December, 1885, or so soon thereafter as the same should also be in force in at least three other of our said colonies, of which one of our colonies of New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria should be one; and by the said lastly recited Act it was further enacted that the representatives of our said colony of Queensland in the said Federal Council should be appointed by the Governor of our said Council in Council, by commission in our name, under the hand of our said Governor and the great seal of our said colony: and that each representative so appointed should hold office for the term of three years from the date of his appointment, subject to the provisions in the said Act contained as to an earlier vacation of his said office; and further, that every person appointed as such representative must be a member of the Executive Council, or the Legislative Council, or the Legislative Assembly of our said colony, or have been a member of the said Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly at some time within six months of the date of his appointment. And whereas the Legislatures of four other of our said colonies, to wit, our colonies of Fiji, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia, have severally passed Acts or ordinances declaring the said firstly-recited Act to be in force in such colonics respectively, and the said Act is now in force in our said last-mentioned colonies, and in our said colony of Queensland, and whereas the Governor of our said colony of Queensland by and with the advice of the Executive Council of our said colony, has determined to appoint you the said being a member of the Executive Council and Legislative Assembly of our said colony to be one of the representatives of our said colony of Queensland in the said Federal Council of Australasia. Now know ye, that we, reposing a special confidence in your loyalty, integrity, and ability do by these presents appoint you the said being a member of the Executive Council and Legislative Assembly of our said colony to be one of the representatives of our said colony of Queensland inthe sia dFederal Council of Australasia. Now know ye, that we, reposing a special confidence in your loyalty, integrity, and ability do by these presents appoint you the said page 8 to be a representative of our said colony of Queensland in the said Federal Council of Australasia, to hold, exercise, and enjoy the said office for and during the term of three years from the date of these presents unless the said office shall, under the provisions of the said lastly recited Act be by you sooner vacated together with all the rights, profits, privileges and advantages to the said office belonging or appertaining.

The other credentials were of a similar import, and the only difference was in the case of Victoria, where the appointment of Messrs. Service and Berry was contained in one document.

The members then, in the foregoing order, signed the roll of the Council.