Chapter 11: The Queen Departs

"Our cabinet government is elected by the House of Commons, approved by the Upper House, and after my appointment, it takes office for three years. In theory, each cabinet official can be re-elected for up to two terms, or serve for a maximum of five terms. The Cabinet Government has administrative power and is responsible to me. All our military forces, except the Guards, are managed by the Ministry of Defense. Based on these foundations, as the ruler of the country, I have the highest power, including the highest military power. If the cabinet government does nothing, I can dissolve it and ask the House of Commons to hold new elections. What do you all think?" Arthur said with a smile, but his words sent chills down the spines of the prime ministers present.

The prime ministers' idea was simple - relying on their existing colonial powers to build a federal state.

Even if Arthur would take away some of their power, they could still use their original colonial foundations to become high-ranking officials in the new Duchy.

However, following Arthur's plan, apart from their original experience and advantages in governing, they would have to compete with all Australians.

In other words, all their privileges would be stripped away. To enter the upper echelons of Australia, they would have to rely on their own abilities and reputation among the Australian people.

"Your Highness, according to your proposal, does our national monarch have too much power? Of course, I don't doubt your abilities. But when it comes to the next ruler or the one after that, if they are mediocre rulers, our country might fall into decline," Prime Minister Evan said tentatively.

It is clear now that Arthur wants to establish a bicameral monarchy, but the prime ministers want a self-governing federal union, two completely opposing concepts.

"That's not what we should be considering now. Besides, if the power of the monarch is insufficient in the future, he can also entrust his power to the Upper House to exercise it. With the help of the Upper House, I believe the country would not fall into crisis," Arthur said with a smile, directly rejecting Prime Minister Evan's probe.

The political system of the country and his personal power are Arthur's bottom lines. Australia is now and will be his biggest base in the future, and he will not allow anyone to threaten his position.

Moreover, now is the best time to establish high royal power in Australia, and if Arthur were to compromise now, it would not be easy to increase royal power later.

Seeing Arthur's determination, the prime ministers had no good solutions for the moment and could only remain silent, frowning as they pondered countermeasures.

"Lastly, it's the changes to the states. The largest administrative divisions in our land will be the Six States, which are the existing six colonies. The position of governor is very important for both the states and the government, so the selection of the governors must be carefully considered. Governors will be elected by the State Parliament, and after being approved by the Upper House, they will officially take office. Each governor will serve for four years, and in principle, can be re-elected for up to four terms, or serve for a maximum of six terms. Governors have administrative power within their states and are responsible to the Upper House and me. The judicial power of each state is withdrawn, and the judicial system adopts a unified national rule. This can quickly eliminate the previous isolation between the colonies and promote the cultural and economic exchanges between the states," Arthur said with a smile, but his words were like a heavy bomb, exploding in the hearts of the six prime ministers.

If the previous agreement for them to serve as temporary cabinet members made them feel that Arthur was compromising, the new regulations for the states were like knives plunging into their chests.

According to Arthur, each state would have only administrative power and would also be responsible to the Upper House and Arthur. Although allowed to serve up to four consecutive terms, it might not be easy to keep the governor's position without significant accomplishments.

This meant that if the six prime ministers wanted to strive to enter the upper echelons of Australia, they would have to try to make an impact on the Upper House and the positions of the new cabinet government.

However, these two institutions are not easy to enter, and more importantly, they have to gain Arthur's support.

As a result, all their escape routes have been cut off by Arthur. If they want to continue in the high ranks of Australia, they have to showcase their abilities and gain Arthur's trust.

The prime ministers are not without thoughts of resistance, but facing Queen Victoria's resolute stance and the fleet stationed outside the harbor, they wisely give up the idea.

Once the prime ministers chose to accept their fate, the progress of the meeting became rapid.

Arthur and the prime ministers quickly determined the structure of the government, the powers of various institutions, and the reforms of the states, and the meeting was officially declared over.

Over the next few days, Arthur accompanied Queen Victoria on a leisurely tour of Sydney's streets and reviewed the now unified Australian Army.

After a few days of rest, Queen Victoria's complexion had finally improved significantly, and she began to smile from time to time.

During these days, the prime ministers, who are also temporary cabinet members, had begun to reform their respective colonies.

All residents of the colonies received the news of the colony's reform as a state, and for a while, everyone was discussing Arthur's merits.

Yes, Australians have longed for the unity of the colonies and the establishment of a complete country. Although it was not the democratic republic they had imagined, Arthur had already announced the establishment of the Houses of Parliament to give Australians their due rights.

Under such circumstances, how could the Australian people not be grateful to Arthur, the ruler who allowed them to trade and travel freely throughout Australia?

On May 7th, 1900, Sydney.

By this time, ten days had passed since Arthur's arrival in Australia. During these ten days, Australia had undergone earth-shattering changes.

The progress of the colonies' transformation into states was very fast due to the welcome it received from all Australians.

Within just over a week, the original boundaries and checkpoints of the states were all canceled and replaced by state boundaries and patrol posts.

The residents of the former colonies now identified themselves as state residents and began to freely shuttle and travel across other states.

The establishment of the Houses of Parliament also gained traction, with government officials in each state notifying all residents to participate in the upcoming House of Commons election and looking for the location of the State Senate in the capital.

However, there was also bad news for Arthur - Queen Victoria was about to leave.