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Appointment of Judges, Justices, &c. III. The Governor-General may constitute and appoint, in Our name and on Our behalf, all such Judges, Commissioners, Justices of the Peace, and other necessary Officers and Ministers of Our said Commonwealth, as may be lawfully constituted or appointed by Us.
Suspension or removal from office. IV. The Governor-General, so far as We Ourselves lawfully may, upon sufficient cause to him appearing, may remove from his office, or suspend from the exercise of the same, any person exercising any office of Our said Commonwealth, under or by virtue of any Commission or Warrant granted, or which may be granted, by Us in Our name or under Our authority.
Summoning, proroguing, or dissolving the Commonwealth Parliament. V. The Governor-General may on Our behalf exercise all powers under the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, 1900, or otherwise in respect of the summoning, proroguing, or dissolving the Parliament of Our said Commonwealth.
VI. And whereas by “The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900,” it is amongst other things enacted, that we may authorise the Governor-General to appoint any person or persons, jointly or severally, to be his Deputy or Deputies within any part of Our Commonwealth, and in that capacity to exercise, during the pleasure of the Governor-General such powers, and functions of the said Governor-General as he thinks fit to assign to such Deputy or Deputies, subject to any limitations expressed or directions given by Us: Now We do hereby authorise and empower Our said Governor-General subject to such limitations and directions as aforesaid, to appoint any person or persons, jointly or severally, to be his Deputy or DeputiesPower to appoint Deputies. within any part of Our said Commonwealth of Australia, and in that capacity to exercise, during his pleasure, such of his powers and functions, as he may deem it necessary or expedient to assign to him or them: Provided always, that the appointment of such a Deputy or Deputies shall not affect the exercise by the Governor-General himself of any power or function.
Succession to the Government. VII. And We do hereby declare Our pleasure to be that, in the event of the death, incapacity, removal, or absence of Our said Governor-General out of Our said Commonwealth, all and every the powers and authorities herein granted to him shall until Our further pleasure is signified therein, be vested in such person as may be appointed by Us under Our Sign Manual and Signet to be Our Lieutenant Governor of Our said Commonwealth: or if there shall be no such Lieutenant Governor in Our said Commonwealth, then in such person or persons as may be appointed by Us under Our Sign Manual and Signet to administer the Government of the same.Proviso. Oaths of office to be taken. No such powers or authorities shall vest in such Lieutenant Governor, or such other person or persons, until he or they shall have taken the oaths appointed to be taken by the Governor-General of Our said Commonwealth, and in the manner provided by the Instructions accompanying these Our Letters Patent.
Officers and others to obey and assist the Governor-Genera!. VIII. And We do hereby require and command all Our Officers and Ministers, Civil and Military, and all other the inhabitants of Our said Commonwealth to be obedient, aiding, and assisting unto Our said Governor-General, or, in the event of his death, incapacity, or absence, to such person or persons as may, from time to time, under the provisions of these Our Letters Patent, administer the Government of Our said Commonwealth.
Power reserved to Her Majesty to revoke, alter, or amend the present Letters Patent. IX. And We do hereby reserve to Ourselves Our heirs and successors, full power and authority from time to time to revoke, alter, or amend these Our Letters Patent as to Us or them shall seem meet.
Publication of Letters Patent. X. And We do further direct and enjoin that these Our Letters Patent shall be read and proclaimed at such place or places as Our said Governor-General shall think fit within Our said Commonwealth of Australia.
In witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent. Witness Ourself at Westminster the twenty-ninth day of October in the sixty fourth year of Our reign.
By Warrant under the Queen’s Sign Manual,
MUIR MACKENZIE.
Letters Patent constituting the Office of
- Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of the
- Commonwealth of Australia
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
VICTORIA R.
Dated 29th October 1900. Victoria, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India; To Our Right Trusty and Right Well-beloved Cousin and Councillor John Adrain Louis, Earl of Hopetoun, Knight of Our Most Ancient, and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Knight Grand Cross of Our Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Greeting.
Appointment of the Right Hon. the Earl of Hopetoun, P.C., K.T., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O. as Governor-General. WE do, by this Our Commission under Our Sign Manual and Signet, appoint you, the said John Adrian Louis, Earl of Hopetoun, to be, during Our pleasure, Our Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Commonwealth of Australia, with all the powers, rights, privileges, and advantages to the said Office belonging or appertaining.
Recites Letters Patent constituting the Office of Governor-General. II. And we do hereby authorise, empower, and command you to exercise and perform all and singular the powers and directions contained in Our Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster the Twenty-ninth day of October, 1900, constituting the said Office of Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, or in any other Our Letters Patent adding to, amending, or substituted for the same and according to such Orders and Instructions as you may receive from Us.
Officers, &c., to obey the Governor-General. III. And We do hereby command all and singular Our Officers, Ministers, and loving subjects in Our said Commonwealth, and all others whom it may concern, to take due notice hereof, and to give their ready obedience accordingly.
Given at Our Court at Saint James’s this Twenty-ninth day of October, 1900, in the Sixty-fourth year of Our Reign.
By Her Majesty’s Command,
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
Commission appointing
The Right Honourable the Earl of HOPETOUN, P.C., K.T., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O.,
to be Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of the
Commonwealth of Australia.
