Chapter 11: The Queen Departs
"Our cabinet government will be elected by the lower house, approved by the upper house, and appointed by me. Each term will last three years. In theory, cabinet officials may serve no more than two consecutive terms and a maximum of five in total. The cabinet holds executive power and answers to me.
Our national army, excluding the Royal Guard, will be managed by the Ministry of Defense.
On this foundation, as the ruler of the nation, I hold supreme authority—including ultimate command of the military. If the cabinet proves ineffective, I may dissolve it and require the lower house to re-elect a new one.
What are your thoughts?" Arthur asked with a smile, though his words sent a chill through the hearts of the premiers.
The premiers had a simple plan: to leverage their existing colonial power bases to build a federal nation.
Even if Arthur took a portion of that power, they believed they could use their colonial influence to climb to the top of the new duchy.
But according to Arthur's plan, beyond their administrative experience and reputations, everything else would be open to competition with ordinary Australians.
In other words, all their privileges would be stripped. If they wanted to remain in power, they would have to rely on their abilities and public approval.
"Your Grace, under your proposal, isn't the monarch's power a bit too great? Of course, I do not doubt your ability. But should a future ruler—or the one after—be less capable, wouldn't our nation risk falling into decline?" Premier Evan asked cautiously.
It was now clear: Arthur aimed to establish a dual monarchy with centralized executive power, while the premiers had hoped for an autonomous federal union. The two were completely at odds.
"That's not something we need to worry about now," Arthur replied with a smile, immediately rejecting Evan's suggestion. "Besides, if a future monarch lacks capability, they may delegate their powers to the upper house. With its support, the nation would not fall into crisis."
For Arthur, the structure of the state and the extent of his authority were non-negotiable. Australia was his present and future foundation, and he would not tolerate any challenge to his rule.
More importantly, this was the best moment to establish strong monarchical authority—if he compromised now, it would be far harder to reclaim power later.
Seeing Arthur's firm stance, the premiers had no counter. They remained silent, frowning in frustration as they searched for a solution.
"Lastly, we must address the matter of state reforms. Australia's highest administrative divisions will be states. We will have six in total, derived from the existing colonies.
The position of state governor is vital to both local and national governance, and must be chosen carefully.
Governors will be elected by their state legislatures, approved by the upper house, and formally instated.
Each governor's term will last four years. In principle, they may serve four consecutive terms, with a maximum of six. Governors will hold executive authority within their own state and answer to the upper house and to me.
Judicial authority will be reclaimed by the national government. The judiciary will follow a unified national system.
This will quickly eliminate the isolation among former colonies and foster cultural and economic exchange between states," Arthur said with a smile—though to the six premiers, it landed like a bombshell.
If Arthur's previous appointment of them as interim cabinet members had seemed like a concession, then these new regulations about state governance were a blade to the chest.
Under Arthur's system, each state would hold only executive authority—and would answer upward, not inward.
Though governors could theoretically serve four terms, any lack of accomplishment would threaten their reappointment.
This meant that if the premiers wanted to remain among the ruling class of Australia, they would have to aim for positions in the upper house or the new cabinet—neither of which would be easy.
And most crucially, they would require Arthur's support to do so.
Some of the premiers had considered resisting, but with Queen Victoria still present and the fleet stationed just outside the harbor, they wisely gave up the idea.
With their reluctant acceptance, the rest of the meeting moved quickly.
Arthur and the premiers formally outlined the structure of government, the distribution of power, and the reforms for each state. The meeting then officially concluded.
In the following days, Arthur accompanied Queen Victoria as they strolled through the streets of Sydney.
He also reviewed the newly unified Australian military.
After a few days of rest, Queen Victoria's complexion had improved, and she had begun to smile again.
Meanwhile, the premiers—also now interim cabinet members—began implementing reforms within their respective colonies.
News of the colony-to-state transformation quickly spread, and discussions about Arthur's accomplishments filled the air.
Yes, Australians had long dreamed of uniting their separate colonies into one country.
Though it wasn't the democratic republic they had envisioned, Arthur had already publicly announced the formation of an upper and lower house, granting Australians the rights they deserved.
Under these circumstances, how could the people not feel grateful to the ruler who had enabled their freedom to travel and trade across all of Australia?
May 7, 1900. Sydney.
Ten days had passed since Arthur's arrival in Australia, and in that time, the country had undergone a dramatic transformation.
The transition from colony to state had moved swiftly, thanks to the public's overwhelming support.
In just over a week, old colonial borders and checkpoints had been dismantled and replaced with state boundaries and patrol posts.
People began referring to themselves by their state identity and moved freely across the former colonial lines.
Plans for the upper and lower houses had taken shape. State governments had begun informing residents of the upcoming lower house elections and were establishing legislative offices in their capitals.
But at the same time, there was one piece of unfortunate news for Arthur—Queen Victoria was preparing to leave.
(End of Chapter)
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