1897 Constitution

From Iscoun

Preamble

We the people of the colonies of Georgeland, Wemberley, Octacia and Brunswick of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland agree to unite in an independent federal kingdom under the Constitution hereby established:

Article I

1. The people of Georgeland, Wemberley, Octavia and Brunswick unite to form an independent federal kingdom to be known as "The Kingdom of Iscoun", declaring and affirming their right to sovereignty and independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

2. The colonies of Georgeland, Wemberley, Octavia and Brunswick are to remain colonies of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until the commencement of this Constitution on 1 January 1899, at which time they become states of the Kingdom of Iscoun.

3. This Constitution and any laws made by the Parliament of the Kingdom under this Constitution shall be binding upon the courts, judges and people of each State and every part of the Kingdom, notwithstanding anything in the laws of any State.

4. The territory of the Kingdom shall be the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland's colonies of Georgeland, Wemberley, Octavia and Brunswick and any other territories which are admitted to the Kingdom by the Council of States and the Parliament.

5. With this Constitution coming to effect, all citizens of the Kingdom shall become subjects of the Kingdom of Iscoun and shall be afforded to the rights and responsibilies thereto.

Article II - The Legislature

6. All legislative powers shall be vested in a Parliament of Iscoun which shall consist of the King, a Senate, and a House of Representatives.

7. The King may appoint such times for holding the sessions of the Parliament as he thinks fit, notwithstanding paragraph 7 and may also from time to time, by Proclamation or otherwise, prorogue the Parliament, and may in like manner dissolve the Senate and the House of Assembly.

8. The Parliament must convene at least once in every year, notwithstanding paragraph 7 of the above.

The Senate

9. The Senate shall be composed of senators for each State, directly chosen by the people of the State, voting, until the Council of States and the Parliament otherwise provides, as one electorate.

10. There shall be ten senators for each State. The senators shall be chosen for a term of six years.

11. The qualification of electors of senators shall be in each State that which is prescribed by this Constitution, or by the Parliament, as the qualification for electors of members of the most numerous legislative house in that state; but in the choosing of senators each elector shall vote only once.

12. The Parliament of the Kingdom may make laws prescribing the method of choosing senators, but so that the method shall be uniform for all the States.

13. The Governor of any State may cause writs to be issued for elections of senators for the State. In case of the dissolution of the Senate the writs shall be issued within ten days from the proclamation of such dissolution.

14. As soon as may be after the Senate first meets, and after each first meeting of the Senate following a dissolution thereof, the Senate shall divide the senators chosen for each State into two classes, as nearly equal in number as practicable; and the places of the senators of the first class shall become vacant at the expiration of three years, and the places of those of the second class at the expiration of six years, from the beginning of their term of service; and afterwards the places of senators shall be vacant at the expiration of six years from the beginning of their term of service.

15. The election to fill vacant places shall be made within one year before the places are to become vacant.

16. For the purpose of this section the term of service of a senator shall be taken to begin on the first day of February following the day of his election.

17. If the place of a senator becomes vacant before the expiration of his term of service, the Houses of Parliament of the State for which he was chosen, sitting and voting together, or, if there is only one House of that Parliament, that House, shall choose a person to hold the place until the expiration of the term. But if the Parliament of the State is not in session when the vacancy is notified, the Governor of the State, with the advice of the Executive Council thereof, may appoint a person to hold the place until the expiration of fourteen days from the beginning of the next session of the Parliament of the State or the expiration of the term, whichever first happens.

18. The qualification of a senator shall be the same as those of a member of the House of Representatives.

19. The Senate shall, before proceeding to the despatch of any other business, choose a senator to be to President of the Senate; and as often as the office of President becomes 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 King.

20. Before or during any absence of the President, the Senate may choose a senator to perform his duties in his absence.

21. The place of a senator shall become vacant if for two consecutive months of any session of the Parliament he, without the permission of the Senate, fails to attend the Senate.

22. Whenever a vacancy happens in the Senate, the President, or if there is no President or if the President is absent from the Kingdom the King, shall notify the same to the Governor of the State in the representation of which the vacancy has happened.

23. 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 Senate for the exercise of its powers.

24. 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.

The House of Representatives

25. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members directly chosen every third year by the people of the Kingdom, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

26. No Person shall be a Representative who has not have attained the age of twenty one years, who is not a subject of the Kingdom and who has not, when elected, be an inhabitant of the State in which he shall be chosen.

27. Each state shall be divided into divisions with the number of electors in each division to not vary by more than five percent, notwithstanding that each State is to have at least one division.

28. The number of representatives of the first House of Representatives shall be eighty.

29. Subject to this Constitution, the Parliament may make laws for increasing or diminishing the number of the members of the House of Representatives.

30. The House of Representatives shall be elected from divisions under the provisions set down by the Parliament for the running of elections.

31. 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 King.

32. The House of Representatives shall, before proceeding to the despatch of any other business, select one of its own number to be the Speaker of the House, and as often as the Office of Speaker becomes vacant the House shall again choose a member to be the Speaker. The Speaker shall cease to hold his or her office if he ceases to be a member. He may be removed from office by a vote of the House, or he may resign his office or his seat by writing addressed to the King.

33. Before or during any absence of the Speaker, the House of Assembly may choose a member to perform his duties in his or her absence.

34. The presence of at least one-third of the whole number of the members of the House of Assembly shall be necessary to constitute a meeting of the House for the exercise of its powers.

35. The place of a member shall become vacant if for two consecutive months of any session of the Parliament the member fails to attend the House without permission.

36. Whenever a vacancy happens in the House of Representatives, the Speaker shall issue his writ for the election of a new member, or if there is no Speaker or if he is absent from the Kingdom the King may issue the writ.

37. Questions arising in the House of Representatives shall be determined by a majority of votes other than that of the Speaker. The Speaker shall not vote unless the numbers are equal, and then he shall have a casting vote.

Both houses of Parliament

38. No adult person who has or acquires a right to vote at elections for the more numerous House of the Parliament of a State shall, while the right continues, be prevented by any law of the Kingdom from voting at elections for either House of the Parliament of the Kingdom.

39. Every senator and every member of the House of Representatives shall before taking his seat make and subscribe before the King, or some person authorised by him, an oath of allegiance in the form set forth in the schedule to this Constitution.

40. A member of either House of Parliament shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a member of the other House.

41. Any person who: (i) Is under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights & privileges of a subject or citizen of a foreign power: or (ii) Is attained of treason, or has been convicted and is under sentence, or subject to be sentenced, for any offence punishable under the law of the Kingdom or of a State by imprisonment for one year or longer: or (iii) Is an undischarged bankrupt or insolvent: or (iv) Holds any office of profit under the Crown, or any pension payable during the pleasure of the Crown out of any of the revenues of the Kingdom: or (v) Has any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any agreement with the Public Service of the Kingdom otherwise than as a member and in common with the other members of an incorporated company consisting of more than twenty-five persons: shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives. But sub-section iv. does not apply to the office of any of the King’s Ministers of State for the Kingdom, or of any of the King’s Ministers for a State, or to the receipt of pay, half pay, or a pension, by any person as an officer or member of the Queen’s navy or army, or to the receipt of pay as an officer or member of the naval or military forces of the Kingdom by any person whose services are not wholly employed by the Kingdom.

42. If a senator or member of the House of Representatives (i) Becomes subject to any of the disabilities mentioned in the last preceding section: or (ii) Takes the benefit, whether by assignment, composition, or otherwise, of any law relating to bankrupt or insolvent debtors: or (iii) Directly or indirectly takes or agrees to take any fee or honorarium for services rendered to the Kingdom, or for services rendered in the Parliament to any person or State: his place shall thereupon become vacant.

43. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, any person declared by this Constitution to be incapable of sitting as a senator or as a member of the House of Representatives shall, for every day on which he so sits, be liable to pay the sum of one hundred pounds to any person who sues for it in any court of competent jurisdiction.

44. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, any question respecting the qualification of a senator or member of the House of Representatives, or respecting a vacancy in either House of the Parliament, and any question of a disputed election to either House, shall be determined by the House in which the question arises.

45. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, each senator and each member of the House of Representatives shall receive an allowance of four hundred pounds a year, to be reckoned from the day on which he takes his seat.

46. The powers, privileges, and immunities of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, and of the members and the committees of each House, shall be such as are declared by the Parliament, and until declared shall be those of the Commons House of Parliament of the United Kingdom, and of its members and committees, at the establishment of the Kingdom.

47. Each House of the Parliament may make rules and orders with respect to (i) The mode in which its powers, privileges, and immunities may be exercised and upheld: (ii) The order and conduct of its business and proceedings either separately or jointly with the other House.

Powers of the Parliament

48. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Kingdom with respect to: (i) Trade and commerce with other countries, and among the States; (ii) Taxation; but so as not to discriminate between States or parts of States; (iii) Bounties on the production or export of goods, but so that such bounties shall be uniform throughout the Kingdom; (iv) Borrowing money on the public credit of the Kingdom; (v) Postal, telegraphic, telephonic, and other like services; (vi) The naval and military defence of the Kingdom and of the States, and the control of the forces to execute and maintain the laws of the Kingdom; (vii) Lighthouses, lightships, beacons and buoys; (viii) Astronomical and meteorological observations; (ix) Quarantine; (x) Fisheries in waters beyond territorial limits; (xi) Census and statistics; (xii) Currency, coinage, and legal tender; (xiii) Banking; (xiv) Insurance; (xv) Weights and measures; (xvi) Bills of exchanging and promissory notes; (xvii) Bankruptcy and insolvency; (xviii) Copyrights, patents of inventions and designs, and trade marks; (xix) Naturalisation and aliens; (xx) Corporations both formed within and foreign to the Kingdom; (xxi) Marriage; (xxii) Divorce and matrimonial causes; and in relation thereto, parental rights, and the custody and guardianship of infants; (xxiii) Invalid and old-age pensions; (xxiv) The provision of maternity allowances, widows’ pensions, child endowment, unemployment, pharmaceutical, sickness and hospital benefits, medical and dental services (but not so as to authorise any form of civil conscription), benefits to students and family allowances; (xxv) The recognition throughout the Kingdom of the laws, the public Acts and records, and the judicial proceedings of the States: (xxvi) Immigration and emigration; (xxvii) The influx of criminals; (xxviii) External Affairs; (xxix) The acquisition of property on just terms from any State or person for any purpose in respect of which the Parliament has power to make laws; (xxx) Railways; (xxxi) Matters in respect of which this Constitution makes provision until the Parliament otherwise provides: (xxxii) Matters referred to the Parliament of the Kingdom by the Parliament or Parliaments of any State or States, but so that the law shall extend only to States by whose Parliaments the matter is referred, or which afterwards adopt the law; (xxxiii) Matters incidental to the execution of any power vested by this Constitution in the Parliament or in either House thereof, or in the Government of the Kingdom, or in the Federal Judicature, or in any department or officer of the Kingdom.

49. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have exclusive power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Kingdom with respect to (i) The seat of government of the Kingdom, and all places acquired by the Kingdom for public purposes; (ii) Matters relating to any department of the public service the control of which is by this Constitution transferred to the Executive Government of the Kingdom; (iii) Other matters declared by this Constitution to be within the exclusive power of the Parliament.

50. Proposed laws appropriating revenue or moneys, or imposing taxation, shall not originate in the Senate. But a proposed law shall not be taken to appropriate revenue or moneys, or to impose taxation, by reason only of its containing provisions for the imposition or appropriation of fines or other pecuniary penalties, or for the demand or payment or appropriation of fees for licences, or fees for services under the proposed law.

51. The Senate may not amend proposed laws imposing taxation, or proposed laws appropriating revenue or moneys for the ordinary annual services of the Government.

52. The Senate may not amend any proposed law so as to increase any proposed charge or burden on the people.

53. The Senate may at any stage return to the House of Representatives any proposed law which the Senate may not amend, requesting, by message, the omission or amendment of any items or provisions therein. And the House of Representatives may, if it thinks fit, make any of such omissions or amendments, with or without modifications.

54. Except as provided in paragraphs 47 through 50, the Senate shall have equal power with the House of Representatives in respect of all proposed laws.

55. The proposed law which appropriates revenue or moneys for the ordinary annual services of the Government shall deal only with such appropriation.

56. Laws imposing taxation shall deal only with the imposition of taxation, and any provision therein dealing with any other matter shall be of no effect.

Laws imposing taxation except laws imposing duties of customs or of excise, shall deal with one subject of taxation only; but laws imposing duties of customs shall deal with duties of customs only, and laws imposing duties of excise shall deal with duties of excise only.

57. A vote, resolution, or proposed law for the appropriation of revenue or moneys shall not be passed unless the purpose of the appropriation has in the same session been recommended by message of the Governor-General to the House in which the proposal originated.

58. If the House of representatives passes any proposed law, and the Senate rejects or fails to pass it, or passes it with amendments to which the House of Representatives will not agree, and if after an interval of three months the House of Representatives, in the same or the next session, again passes the proposed law with or without any amendments which have been made, suggested, or agreed to by the Senate, and the Senate rejects or fails to pass it, or passes it with amendments to which the House of Representatives will not agree, the King may dissolve the Senate and the House of Representatives simultaneously. But such dissolution shall not take place within six months before the date of the expiry of the House of Representatives by effluxion of time.

If after such dissolution the House of Representatives again passes the proposed law, with or without any amendments which have been made, suggested, or agreed to by the Senate, and the Senate rejects or fails to pass it, or passes it with amendments to which the House of Representatives will not agree, the King may convene a joint sitting of the members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives.

The members present at the joint sitting may deliberate and shall vote together upon the proposed law as last proposed by the House of Representatives, and upon amendments, if any, which have been made therein by one House and not agreed to by the other, and any such amendments which are affirmed by an absolute majority of the total number of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives shall be taken to have been carried, and if the proposed law, with the amendments, if any, so carried is affirmed by an absolute majority of the total number of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, it shall be taken to have been duly passed by Houses of the Parliament, and shall be presented to the King for his assent.

59. When a proposed law passed by both Houses of the Parliament is presented to the King for his assent, he shall declare, according to his discretion, but subject to this Constitution, that he assents, or that he withholds assent. The King may return to the house in which it originated any proposed law so presented to him, and may transmit therewith any amendments which he may recommend, and the Houses may deal with the recommendation.

60. Should the King withold assent or the amendments proposed by the King are not passed by the Houses, the Parliament may, by a two-thirds majority in each house request that the King put the legislation to the people in a referrendum. The King is to hold a referrendum within 60 days of the referrendum being requested. If the legislation is accepted by the people the King is to give it assent.

Article III - The Executive

The Monarchy

61. The executive power of the Kingdom is vested in the King and extends to the maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Kingdom.

62. The King shall be the Commander in Chief of the naval and military forces of the Kingdom.

63. With the advice of the Executive Council, the King shall be responsible for the for the defence of the Kingdom, and the keeping of the peace.

64. In respect to the sanctity of the Crown, the King shall not be answerable for his actions. The King’s Ministers shall be responsible for the conduct of government and their responsibilities shall be defined by the Parliament.

65. Until Parliament otherwise provides, upon his accession to the throne, the King shall take an oath of office and declare in writing that he will faithfully adhere to this Constitution.

When because of absence or for other reasons, the King is unable to take the oath and sign the declaration immediately on his accession, the business of government shall be conducted by the Council of States until such declaration has been signed.

When the King has already, as Heir to the Throne, signed the aforesaid declaration, he shall accede to the throne immediately it becomes vacant.

66. The right of succession to the throne of the Kingdom is vested in the descendants of King Joseph, issued in direct line of descent. In this connexion, older siblings and their descendants shall have precedence over younger siblings and their descendants, regardless of sex.

67. In the event of the minority, illness, absence or other incapacity of the King, the Council of States shall be vested with exercising executive power. Should the throne become vacant and there be no Heir to the Throne, the Council of States shall provide for the election of a Monarch and establish the future order of succession to the throne.

68. The Parliament shall provide an annuity for each member of the royal family which has a right of succession to the crown in an amount as it sees fit. The King shall be paid twice the amount of the highest amount paid to other members of the royal family. Such annuities shall not be chargeable with any form of taxation.

69. The King may raise an additional salary through the personal assets of the Crown and his own inheritance. This sum may be taxed in a manner deemed appropriate by the Parliament.

70. Any member of the Royal Family shall be prevented from: (i) Entering into a marriage unless the King and Council of States has given its consent; or (ii) Undertaking any travel abroad without the knowledge and consent of the King; or (iii) Becoming the sovereign ruler of a foreign state whether by election, succession, or marriage without the consent of The King and the Parliament.

Should a member of the royal family engage in any of the aforesaid actions without consent, that member shall forfeit the right of succession for himself, his children and their descendants.

71. The right of pardon and the power to commute or remit punishment imposed by any court exercising criminal jurisdiction are hereby vested in the King.

The Council of States

72. There shall be a Council of States composing the Governor and Premier of each State of the Kingdom. The Council is to be presided over by the King or in their absence the most senior member of the Council.

73. The Council shall be vested with any such powers prescribed by the Constitution, those delegated to it by the King or powers assigned in law.

The Executive Council

74. There shall be a council of ministers to advise the King in the good governance of the Kingdom, to be styled "The Executive Council of Iscoun".

All bills passed by the Parliament and other important government measures shall be discussed by the Executive Council before they can be assented into Law.

75. The King shall appoint a Prime Minister, who shall hold a commission during his pleasure.

76. The members of the Council shall be reommended to the King by the Prime Minister, and shall be summoned and sworn as Ministers of State by the King to hold office during his pleasure.

77.A person may be appointed and may hold office as a member of the Executive Council or as a Minister of State only if that person is a Member of Parliament.

78. Notwithstanding paragraph 77, where a person who holds office both as a member of Parliament and as a member of the Executive Council or as a Minister of State ceases to be a member of Parliament, that person may continue to hold office as a member of the Executive Council or as a Minister of State until the expiration of the twenty-eighth day after the day on which that person ceases to be a member of Parliament.

79. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, Executive Councillors shall hold such offices as the Prime Minister prescribes, or, in the absence of any provision, as the King directs.

80. All meetings of the Executive Council shall be entered in a minute book, and the Prime Minister shall submit the minutes, signed by the Executive Councillors present, to the King within three days.

81. Any question put before the Council shall be decided by a majority of votes of those Councillors present.

82. Until the Parliament otherwise provides, each Councillor shall receive an additional allowance of five hundred pounds a year, to be reckoned from the day on which he or she is appointed to the Council.

83. A Councillor shall not remain in office after the Senate or the Council of States has passed a vote of no confidence in him.

84. When the Parliament passes a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister, he shall surrender his commission to the King, who shall dismiss the Council.

85. Where a vote of no confidence has been passed on the entire Council, the Council of States shall perform the functions normally reserved for the Executive Council so as to ensure the uninterrupted conduct of official business.

86. Executive Councillors may be impeached by the King or the Parliament for maladministration of office.

87. Hearings for cases of impeachment shall be heard by the Council of States. In order for a Councillor to be impeached a finding of maladministration must be made by two-thirds of the Council of States.

88. Should the King be prevented from holding a meeting of the Executive Council, he may entrust the discussion of any matter to a Ministerial Council. Such a Council shall consist of all the Executive Councillors, and shall be presided over by the Prime Minister. The debate and vote of each Executive Councillor shall be entered in a minute book, and any question shall be decided by a majority of votes. The Prime Minister shall submit the minutes, signed by the Executive Councillors present, to the King, who shall decide whether he will immediately consent to the recommendations of the Council, or have the matter brought before the Executive Council.

Article IV - The Judicial Branch

89. The judicial power of the Kingdom shall be vested in a Federal Supreme Court, and in such other federal courts as the Parliament creates, and in such other courts as it invests with federal jurisdiction. The Supreme Court shall consist of a Chief Justice, and so many other Justices, not less than two, as the Parliament prescribes.

90. The Justices of the Supreme Court and of the other courts created by the Parliament: (i) Shall be appointed by the King in Council; (ii) Shall not be removed except by the Governor-General in Council, on an address from both Houses of the Parliament in the same session, praying for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity; (iii) Shall receive such remuneration as the Parliament may fix; but the remuneration shall not be less than one-half of that provided to the Prime Minister and may not be diminished during their continuance in office.

91. The appointment of a Justice of the Supreme Court shall be for a term expiring upon his attaining the age of seventy years, and a person shall not be appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court if he has attained that age.

92. The maximum age for Justices of any court created by the Parliament is seventy years.

93. The Parliament may make a law fixing an age that is less than seventy years as the maximum age for Justices of a court created by the Parliament and may at any time repeal or amend such a law, but any such repeal or amendment does not affect the term of office of a Justice under an appointment made before the repeal or amendment.

94. A Justice of the Supreme Court or of a court created by the Parliament may resign his office by writing under his hand delivered to the King.

95. A reference in this section to the appointment of a Justice of the Supreme Court or of a court created by the Parliament shall be read as including a reference to the appointment of a person who holds office as a Justice of the Supreme Court or of a court created by the Parliament to another office of Justice of the same court having a different status or designation.

96. The Supreme Court shall have jurisdiction, with such exceptions and subject to such regulations as the Parliament prescribes, to hear and determine appeals from all judgments, decrees, orders, and sentences: (i) Of any Justice or Justices exercising the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court; (ii) Of any other federal court, or court exercising federal jurisdiction; or of the highest court of any State.

and the judgment of the Supreme Court in all such cases shall be final and conclusive.

97. In all matters (i) Arising under any treaty; (ii) Affecting consuls or other representatives of other countries; (iii) In which the Kingdom, or a person suing or being sued on behalf of the Kingdom, is a party: (iv) Between States, or between residents of different States, or between a State and a resident of another State: (v) In which a writ of Mandamus or prohibition or an injunction is sought against an officer of the Kingdom: the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction.

98. The Parliament may make laws conferring original jurisdiction on the Supreme Court in any matter: (i) Arising under this Constitution, or involving its interpretation; (ii) Arising under any laws made by the Parliaments; (iii) Of Admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; (iv) Relating to the same subject-matter claimed under the laws of different States.

99. With respect to any of the matters mentioned in the last two sections the Parliament may make laws: (i) Defining the jurisdiction of any federal court other than the Supreme Court; (ii) Defining the extent to which the jurisdiction of any federal court shall be exclusive of that which belongs to or is invested in the courts of the States; (iii) Investing any court of a State with federal jurisdiction.

100. The Parliament may make laws conferring rights to proceed against the Kingdom or a State in respect of matters within the limits of the judicial power.

101. The federal jurisdiction of any court may be exercised by such number of judges as the Parliament prescribes.

102. The trial on indictment of any offence against any law of the Kingdom shall be by jury, and every such trial shall be held in the State where the offence was committed, and if the offence was not committed within any State the trial shall be held at such place or places as the Parliament prescribes or the Council of States directs.

Article V - The States

103. The Constitution of each State of the Kingdom shall, subject to this Constitution, continue as at the establishment of the Kingdom, or as at the admission of establishment of the State, as the case may be, until altered in accordance with the Constitution of the State.

104. Every power of the Parliament of a Colony which has become or becomes a State, shall, unless it is by this Constitution exclusively vested in the Parliament of the Kingdom or withdrawn from the Parliament of the State, continue as at the establishment of the Kingdom, or as at the admission or establishment of the State, as the case may be.

105. Every law in force in a Colony which has become or becomes a State, and relating to any matter within the powers of the Parliament of the Kingdom shall, subject to this Constitution, continue in force in the State; and, until provision is made in that behalf by the Parliament of the Kingdom, the Parliament of the State shall have such powers of alteration and of repeal in respect of any such law as the Parliament of the Colony had until the Colony became a State.

106. When a law of a State is inconsistent with a law of the Kingdom, the latter shall prevail, and the former shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be invalid.

107. The provisions of this Constitution relating to the Governor of a State extend and apply to the Governor for the time being of the State, or other chief executive officer or administrator of the government of the State.

108. The Parliament of a State may surrender any part of the State to the Kingdom; and upon such surrender, and the acceptance thereof by the Kingdom, such part of the State shall become subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Kingdom.

109. A State shall not, without the consent of the Parliament of the Kingdom, raise or maintain any naval or military force, or impose any tax on property of any kind belonging to the Kingdom, not shall the Kingdom impose any tax on property of any kind belonging to a State.

110. A State shall not coin money, nor make anything but gold and silver coin a legal tender in payment of debts.

111. Full faith and credit shall be given, throughout the Kingdom to the laws, the public Acts and records, and the judicial proceeding of every State.

112. The Kingdom shall protect every State against the invasion and, on the application of the Executive Government of the State, against civil disorder.

113. The Council of States may admit to the Kingdom or establish new States, and may upon such admission or establishment make or impose such terms and conditions.

114. Upon the admission of a new state to the Kingdom, the House of Representatives shall be expanded by the number of representatives required to represent the State such that the number of electors in each division of the Kingdom shall not vary by more than five percent and the new state shall have not less than one representative.

115. Upon the admission of a new state to the Kingdom, the Senate is to be expanded by the number of Senators which each other state is allocated.

116. The Parliament may make laws for the government of any territory surrendered by any State to and accepted by the Kingdom, or of any territory placed by the King under the authority of and accepted by the Kingdom, and may allow the representation of such territory in either House of the Parliament to the extent and on the terms which it thinks fit.

117. The Parliament of the Kingdom may, with the consent of the Parliament of a State, and the approval of the majority of the electors of the State voting upon the question, increase, diminish, or otherwise alter the limits of the State, upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed on, and may, with the like consent, make provision respecting the effect and operation of any increase or diminution or alteration of territory in relation to any State affected.

Article VI - The Seat of Government

118. The Council of States shall provide the Parliament with a list of suitable sites where the Kingdom's federal seat of government may be established, the Parliament will then select one or zero of the sites for the proposed seat of government. If no such site is suitable to the Parliament, the Council of States shall create a subsequent list. Upon the Parliament's determination of a proposed seat, the majority of electors of the State so affected shall vote upon whether or not that territory is to suceed to become the Federal Capital Territory. If the majority of electors do not agree then the Council of States shall create a subsequent list for Parliament's determination and the elector's consideration.

119. Within thirty days of the electors agreeing that the proposed territory is to become the Federal Capital Territory, the Parliament of the State affected shall cause for the territory to be granted to and acquired by the Kingdom and shall then be vested in and belong to the Kingdom.

120. The Parliament is to sit at Barrios until such time as a meeting place is completed in the Federal Capital Territory. The King's official residence shall be Swanston House in Charlotte until such time as a residence is completed in the Federal Capital Territory.

121. Proceedings in the House of Representatives and the Senate shall be open to the Kingdom's subjects while they are in session unless closed by order of the King.

Article VII - Alteration of the Constitution

122. This Constitution shall not be altered except in the following manner:

The proposed law for the alteration of this Constitution must be passed by a two-thirds majority of a joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and not more than thirty days after its passage through the Parliament shall be submitted to the Council of States for its consideration. If the Council agrees to the law it must present the proposed law to the electors qualified to vote for the election of members of the House of Representatives not less than two nor more than six months after the Council's consent.

If the Council of States rejects or fails to agree to the law, or passes it with any amendments to which the Parliament will not agree, the Parliament may request that the King present the proposed law, either with or without any amendments made by the Parliament to the electors electors in each State and Territory qualified to vote for the election of the House of Representatives.

When a proposed law is submitted to the electors the vote shall be taken in such manner as the Parliament prescribes.

And if a majority of the electors voting approve the proposed law it shall be presented to the King for his assent. No alteration diminishing the proportionate representation of any State in either House of the Parliament, or the minimum number of representatives of a State in the House of Representative, in increasing, diminishing, or otherwise altering the limits of the State, or in any manner affecting the provisions of the Constitution in relation thereto, shall become law unless the majority of the electors voting in that State approve the proposed law.

Schedule

Oath of Allegiance

I, [AB], swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to [CM], his/her heirs and successors, according to law.

Monarch's Oath

I, [AB], humbly and truly declare that I am a descendant of His Majesty King Joseph, that I am entitled to succeed [FM] as the Monarch of Iscoun and that there is no other of whom I am aware which is more entitled to the crown than I.

I accept the Crown and shall rule the Kingdom of Iscoun as [TL].

I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful to and bear true allegiance to this Kingdom of Iscoun, her people and will defend and uphold the Constitution.

(Note: CM is to be replaced with the style and title of the current monarch, for example, His Majesty, King Joseph. FM is to be replaced by the name of the former Monarch AB is to be replaced by the deponent's name TL is to be replaced by the monarch's name)