Chapter 11 : The Queen Leaves

Our cabinet is elected by the House of Commons, approved by the House of Lords, and assumes office after my appointment for a term of three years. Theoretically, each cabinet official can be re-elected for a maximum of two terms, up to a total of five terms. The cabinet holds executive power and is accountable to me. Our country's military, with the exception of the Guard, is managed by the Ministry of National Defense. On this basis, as the ruler of the nation, I hold the highest authority, including supreme military command. If the cabinet fails to perform, I have the power to dissolve it and call for new elections in the House of Commons. What do you think?" Arthur smiled as he spoke, but his words sent a chill through several prime ministers.

The idea of these prime ministers was simple: to build a federal state based on their original colonial rights. Even if Arthur stripped them of some power, they could still become the leading figures of the new principality based on their colonial foundations. However, according to Arthur's plan, aside from leveraging their current experience and status as rulers, they would have to compete with all Australians on equal footing. In other words, all their privileges would be removed, and if they wished to ascend to the upper echelons of Australia, they would have to rely solely on their own abilities and the reputation they held in the hearts of the Australian people.

"Your Highness, according to your proposal, isn't the power of our monarch too great? Of course, I do not doubt your capabilities. But when the next ruler, or the one after that, turns out to be a mediocre monarch, our country could easily fall into chaos," Prime Minister Evan said hesitantly. It was now clear that Arthur wanted a full-fledged principality with a dual monarchy, while the prime ministers desired an autonomous federal union—two entirely contradictory concepts.

"That is not something we need to consider now. Moreover, if a future monarch proves incapable, they can delegate their powers to the House of Lords to exercise. I believe that with the House of Lords' assistance, the country will not fall into crisis," Arthur replied with a smile, directly dismissing Prime Minister Evan's concerns. The nation's political system and his own authority were Arthur's top priorities. Australia was the most important foundation for Arthur, both now and in the future. He would never allow anyone to threaten his position.

Furthermore, this was the most opportune time for Australia to establish a strong monarchy. If Arthur conceded now, it would be difficult to strengthen the monarchy in the future. Seeing Arthur's determination, the prime ministers were momentarily at a loss. They could only remain silent, furrowing their brows as they pondered countermeasures.

"Finally, there will be changes to the states. The largest administrative region in Australia will be the state, and we will have a total of six states, corresponding to the existing six colonies. The position of governor is crucial for both the states and the government. Therefore, the selection of governors for each state must be handled with care. Governors will be elected by state legislatures and officially assume office after approval by the Senate. Each governor serves a term of four years and, in principle, may be re-elected for up to four terms, with a maximum of six terms. The governor holds administrative power within the state and is accountable to the Senate and to me. The judicial power of each state will be reclaimed, and the judicial system will adopt unified national rules. This will quickly end the original isolation between the colonies and also rapidly promote cultural exchange and economic communication between the states," Arthur said with a smile, but his words were like a high-powered bomb, exploding in the hearts of the six prime ministers.

If Arthur's decision to allow them to serve as temporary members of the cabinet had made them feel that he was making concessions, then the regulations regarding the new states were like a sharp blade stabbing them in the chest. According to Arthur, in the future, the states would only have executive power and would be accountable to the House of Lords and to Arthur. Although they could be re-elected for up to four terms, it would be difficult for them to retain the position of governor without significant achievements.

This also meant that if the six prime ministers wanted to enter the highest leadership of Australia, they would have to find ways to influence the Senate and the new cabinet. However, gaining entry into either of these institutions was no easy task, and more importantly, they would need Arthur's support. In this way, all their escape routes had been cut off by Arthur. If they wished to remain in the highest positions in Australia, their only option was to prove their abilities and earn Arthur's trust.

It wasn't that the prime ministers hadn't considered resisting, but in the presence of Queen Victoria and the fleet stationed outside the harbor, they wisely abandoned the idea. After the prime ministers resigned themselves to their fate, the meeting progressed quickly. After briefly determining the government system, the powers of various agencies, and the reforms for each state, the meeting was officially declared over.

In the following days, Arthur accompanied Queen Victoria on a stroll through the streets of Sydney and reviewed the Australian army, which had now become a unified force. After a few days of rest, Queen Victoria's complexion improved significantly, and she began to smile occasionally. During this time, the prime ministers, who were also members of the interim cabinet, began reforming the colonies under their jurisdiction. All residents of the colonies also received the news that the colonies had been transformed into states, and Arthur's contributions were widely discussed.

Yes, Australians had long dreamed of the colonies uniting to form a complete nation. Although it wasn't the democratic republic they had imagined, Arthur had officially announced the establishment of the House of Commons and the House of Lords to grant Australians their rightful privileges. Under these circumstances, how could Australians not be grateful to Arthur, the ruler who allowed them to trade and travel freely across Australia?

On May 7, 1900, in Sydney, ten days had passed since Arthur's arrival in Australia. In these ten days, Australia had undergone tremendous changes. The transformation of the colonies into states happened rapidly because it was welcomed by all Australians. In just over a week, the original border lines and checkpoints of each state had been removed and replaced with state boundaries and patrol posts. Residents of the various colonies began to call themselves state residents and started traveling freely between states.

The formation of the upper and lower houses had also taken shape. State governments had begun notifying all residents to participate in the upcoming lower house elections and were searching for a location for the state legislature in the capital. But at the same time, there was bad news for Arthur: Queen Victoria was about to depart.