12 Chapter 12: Speech and the Australian Constitution

May 8th, 1900, Sydney.

Today is Queen Victoria's last day in Australia. Early tomorrow morning, the fleet will set sail once again, heading for its true destination, Wight Island of New Zealand.

In recent days, as a result of the company of Arthur and Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's complexion has indeed improved significantly. However, to the naked eye, after the severe shock, the queen's body has deteriorated considerably, even requiring assistance to walk.

As the day of the fleet's departure approaches, Arthur increasingly feels reluctant and heartbroken.

Since ascending the throne at a young age, Queen Victoria has been bound to the seemingly free throne, experiencing the departure of many close relatives and even missing them until her dying days.

After fulfilling her wish to visit White Island, Queen Victoria's reason for holding on may vanish. Perhaps next time they see her, it will be on her deathbed.

Although Arthur wished to retain Queen Victoria, Her Majesty's intention to leave was firm, and there was no other choice but to let go.

The central square on Sydney Street.

This square was originally a military base used by the old colonial government. After several expansions of the city, it became a public square.

Now, this square has a glorious mission, hosting Arthur's coronation speech.

Australia's Australian Principality is different from countries that declare independence and establish their kingdoms through the monarchy. The time of the establishment of a monarchical country is generally based on the time of the monarch's coronation.

Arthur's coronation took place on January 10th, 1900, meaning that the Australian Principality was established on that day. As such, Arthur prepared a coronation speech.

Since the colonies began to reform into states a week ago, people from not only New South Wales State, but also nearby South Australia State, Victoria State, and Queensland State flocked to Sydney upon hearing that Arthur would give his coronation speech there.

As the morning sunlight bathed the earth, the birds in the trees chirped as if urging the passage of time.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

With three chimes from the bell tower, it announced the arrival of eight o'clock. The crowd in the square began to stir, with everyone looking at the high platform in the center of the square, craning their necks and seeming to be waiting for something.

It wasn't long before Arthur arrived on the platform, escorted by a group of guards and followed by several members of the temporary cabinet, who also held positions as temporary governors.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good morning!" Arthur stepped forward, smiling slightly as he greeted everyone.

Thankfully, loudspeakers had been invented by this time, making it easier for everyone in the square to hear Arthur's voice.

Once they heard Arthur's greeting, the square immediately became quiet. Everyone listened intently to their future ruler's first public speech.

"I realize that most of you don't know me, so please allow me to briefly introduce myself. My name is Connaught Arthur, and I am the Duke of Australia. It does not matter where I come from or my background because in the future, we will all share a common identity as the great and noble Australian People!" Arthur said with a smile.

"Long live Your Highness! Long live Australia!"

It was clear that Arthur's words had resonated with the majority of the people present. After hundreds of years of division, almost every Australian dreamed of living in a united and prosperous Australia.

Now, with Arthur's arrival, the goal of unification had been achieved. All Australians hoped that this new monarch could lead this newborn country to prosperity.

"I believe you have all heard of the constitution that was promulgated a week ago. Our most urgent need now is to break the barriers and isolation among the states that were maintained during the colonial era. Regardless of which state the people are from, they are all great Australians who should live freely and without restraint in any part of the country. There should be free trade among the states, and we can sell goods to any state in Australia and purchase whatever we need in any state, without worrying about any state policies."

The only party in Australia, the Labour Party, was established to protect the interests of the workers and promote free trade in Australia.

When Arthur made such remarks, it meant that his policies were in line with the objectives of the Labour Party, indirectly forming an alliance with its members.

As the only party in Australia, the Labour Party, although still in its infancy compared to major parties in the UK, was already a giant force in the Australian political environment.

In future House of Commons elections, the Labour Party would have many seats. Although Arthur did not worry about the party's struggle for power, it was best to have control over this force.

"Australia is a land of treasure. We have vast tracts of arable land, as well as abundant mineral and natural resources. In the past, when this land was a colony, both immigrants and Australians faced high taxes and exploitation. As the Duke of Australia, I do not wish to see this happen. Therefore, I have decided to lower the taxation of all Australians and allow all Australians to have a prosperous life first!" Arthur continued to agitate the people, and his words were indeed enticing.

Looking at the colonial-era taxes, one-third of Australians' annual income became tax revenue on the colonial accounts, which was then transported to the United Kingdom.

However, after Arthur's decision to reduce taxation, Australians only need to pay one-seventh of their annual income in taxes, cutting it by more than half.

It is worth mentioning that Australia's annual tax revenue was over two million pounds. After the reduction, it would be a miracle to have more than one million pounds in tax revenue.

Was this an impulse decision by Arthur, who had too much money? Not really.

Firstly, drastically reducing taxes would quickly win popular support in Australia, facilitating Arthur's establishment of a stable monarchy and a series of reform plans.

Secondly, Australia later became known as a country sitting on a cart of minerals. Every year, the sale of abundant mineral resources alone generated huge amounts of foreign exchange income.

Under such circumstances, the tax revenue of the Australian people was just a drop in the bucket. It would be better to proactively reduce it and gain everyone's goodwill.

For ordinary people, a government reducing taxes is certainly a reason to celebrate.

Furthermore, this tax reduction was not insignificant, cutting more than half of the people's taxes.