Chapter 18: Chapter Eighteen: The First Meeting of the House of Commons

Translator: 549690339 I

The crowd instantly got silent after hearing the guard’s words, and they all turned their expectant eyes towards the guard, or rather, the list of names he held in his hand.

Seeing the crowd gradually quiet down, the guard began, “What is now being announced is the list of elected members of the House of Commons for the entire New South Wales State. Once the list is announced, the members shall officially assume their duties for a two-year term.”

“Albert… Martin… Henris! These 71 people are the newly appointed members of the House of Commons. Soldiers will soon go to these members’ residence to notify them. According to His Highness’s command, the first official meeting of the House of Commons is scheduled for June 10th, by then, all elected members should attend unless there are special circumstances,” The guard solemnly reminded after announcing all the names.

Because it was the first time that the House of Commons held a meeting, Arthur decided to preside over it in person.

This greatly elevated the solemnity and seriousness of the meeting, therefore, theoretically, members are not allowed to be absent without any reason.

“Sir, when will the State Parliament’s members be announced?” a person who considered himself eligible but hadn’t been elected for the House of Commons, eagerly asked.

Without being included in the House of Commons, becoming a member of the State Parliament was currently the only path for those dreaming of a career in public service.

“I’m sorry, we don’t know the list of the State Parliament, you might have to wait for them to announce it later.” The guard spread his hands, remarking apologetically.

Hearing the guard’s response, those who had failed in the election were instantly crestfallen, their eyes filled with envy as they watched the successful candidates around them celebrating.

As two of the more senior officials of the Sydney City Council, Henris and Martin were quite successful in this election. Both were successfully elected to the House of Commons.

Upon hearing their names being announced, both of them looked at each other with joy.

“Hey! Henris, did you hear that? We were elected successfully! From now on, we are respected members, man,” Martin said excitedly to Henris.

“Of course, Martin. You’re right. We’re members, now,” Henris responded, his face also full of joy, only he better controlled his wild excitement, replying with a smile.

For small officials from the city council, being successfully elected as a member was definitely a huge boost for their career in office.

For any country with a parliament, members are prestigious and powerful politicians. Even in a monarchy like Australia, members have a certain say in the political arena.

“Alright, gentleman. This is the entrance of the State Parliament. If there’s nothing else, you shouldn’t gather around here. The members of the House of Commons don’t forget your meeting on the tenth of next month, as for the rest, wait patiently for the announcement of the State Parliament.” After finishing reading the list of members, the guard stuck it onto the announcement board at the entrance of the State Parliament, gave a final reminder to the crowd and returned to the Administrative Building.

Upon hearing the guard’s reminder, the crowd wisely dispersed from the State Parliament. As the saying goes, some families are happy, some are sad. Those who were successful in the election were naturally elated while those whose names weren’t mentioned could only watch others around them cheerfully celebrating with feelings of envy and jealousy.

June 10th, 1900, Sydney, Australian National Government Building.

Ever since Arthur’s arrival, this Administrative Building, originally used as the office of the New South Wales Colony’s government, was temporarily converted by Arthur into the Australian National Government Building.

Thanks to the sufficiently large-scale planning during the construction of this building, it was able to accommodate the government bodies of the entire country.

This, however, was only a temporary solution, as Arthur was determined to construct new government buildings and a royal palace. Neither the location of the national government nor the residence of the royal family should be too modest.

At seven in the morning, the front of the Administrative Building was surrounded by a crowd of people dressed formally, their expressions solemn.

This group of people weren’t officers from the Administrative Building, nor were they onlookers, rather, they were all the members of the Australian House of Commons who had been elected on Election Day.

Knowing that this day was very important for all members, everyone dressed in a very serious and formal manner. Normally jovial, the members were all stiff at the entrance of the Administrative Building.

After a while, the front doors of the Administrative Building swung open and a troop of guards slowly walked out, addressing the crowd, “Gentlemen, today’s meeting will take place at the first Meeting Room on the east side of the Top Floor. Please, remain solemn and quiet as you all make your way up.”

Following the guards’ instructions, the crowd began to move towards the Top Floor of the Administrative Building.

The Top Floor of the Administrative Building served as the temporary residence for the members of the royal family, such as Duchess Louise, Margaret, Patricia, along with Arthur and was equipped with two meeting rooms, a restaurant, and two offices.

The First Meeting Room, as mentioned by the guard, was the biggest meeting room at the top floor of the Administrative Building. It could accommodate up to 300 people simultaneously, making it more than sufficient for these 190 members.

Everyone carefully made their way up to the Top Floor. Under the guidance of the guards, they started to enter the Meeting Room.

While passing through each floor, none of the members dared to look around, as the guards were keeping an eye on them ail the time. If they looked around’ the place, it would not only give Arthur a bad impression, but also possibly expose them to censure.

Upon entering the Meeting Room, everyone took their seats according to their designated seating arrangements. Most people chose positions in the middle or towards the back. Apart from a few governors and members who were rather audacious, there were also a few unlucky ones who came late and had to sit nervously at the front because there were no spots left at the back.

At eight o’clock, with a chime, the door was pushed open by a guard and Arthur walked in with a smile.

First, he scanned the room, where he saw familiar faces, he then smiled and said, “Gentlemen, congratulations. You have distinguished yourselves from thousands, even tens of thousands, to become the first members of the Australian House of Commons.”

Phew!

Seeing Arthur’s first sentence wasn’t too serious, all the members breathed a sigh of relief, relieving much of their tension.

“However, I must remind you all, your status has changed. You are now the formal members of the Australian Duchy House of Commons, you are important officials who can determine the election of the cabinet and the law of this country. Previously, you may have been commoners, or maybe officials at the city council. But now, you are all respected members. During your term, I hope not to see any instances of corruption or bribery, I hope you all can commit to this important position with the purpose of developing Australia and building our beautiful home,” Arthur suddenly changed his tone, becoming solemn and serious.