Election Results

After listening to Arthur's speech, the surrounding crowd instantly burst into enthusiastic cheers and applause, and naturally neither Martin nor Henris was an exception.

People of this era naturally did not know what pie-in-the-sky promises were, and unwittingly, they were naturally and gratefully consuming the pie-in-the-sky promises Arthur was painting for them.

However, Arthur truly had the ability to realize everything he planned, and those promises were about to become reality.

"Gentlemen, I know many of you running in this election do not have a very clear purpose for doing so. Perhaps, like Martin, you want to better participate in the nation's development and construction, raising the living standards and economic income of all our compatriots. Or perhaps, like Henris, you have witnessed the tragic plight of the lower-class poor in this country and want to make an effort and bring about change for that. No matter what purpose you harbor, members of the Lower House are a position of great importance and immense power, and I hope that after you successfully win election, you will not forget your original aspiration, and will seek benefits for the country, the government, and all Australians. Of course, those who fail in the campaign should not be discouraged either; there will be an election every two years, and as long as you learn from your experiences and lessons, you will ultimately succeed," Arthur said solemnly, looking at the surrounding crowd.

"Yes, Your Grace!"

The crowd responded in unison to Arthur, as if they shared a tacit understanding.

"Of course, it is not just by becoming national parliamentarians that one can contribute to the nation's development and construction. Even as a common citizen, as long as everyone works hard, obeys the law, and abides by regulations, that is contributing to the nation's development and construction, isn't it? As long as all Australians are united as one, Australia will be the greatest nation, and Australians will be the greatest people," Arthur said with a smile.

This slightly nationalistic speech won the welcome and reverence of all Australians.

Although Australians were a new ethnicity born after the mixed settlement of Western immigrants and Indigenous peoples, this did not mean Australians considered themselves inferior.

What Australia had always lacked was an ambitious leader, and now that Arthur had arrived, Australians would also bloom with their own unique colors.

"Of course, all of this cannot rely solely on your participation and changes. The royal family and the government must also change alongside you so that the country can become even stronger and the people's living standards can achieve a significant improvement." Arthur tossed out his final trump card and said loudly, "Therefore, as your sovereign, upon learning that there are still many poor people in Australia who cannot afford medical care or schooling, I have decided to take action: starting immediately, the royal family will establish the Royal Relief Committee, select a batch of officials loyal to the royal family and the people to serve, and under my personal supervision, be responsible for relieving low-income Australians who cannot afford medical care or schooling. I will invest five million pounds as working capital for the relief committee and promise to allocate at least one million pounds annually to the relief committee. I hope that Australians can be free from the ravages of severe cold, free from the torment of hunger, and free from the trials of illness, and that they will be able to afford clothing, food, medical care, and education. Although Australia's rise currently seems like nothing more than empty words, I am still willing to put in the effort for it. All Australians, are you willing to join your Duke to build this great nation, and let Australians and Australia stand at the very pinnacle of this world?"

Arthur's words could be described as stirring up a thousand ripples. In a country where the average annual income per capita was less than 10 pounds, the five million pounds Arthur invested was definitely an astronomical sum.

Even more important was what Arthur had said. In the eyes of Australians, Arthur was definitely a sovereign who respected and cherished all Australians, and the perfect Duke in the hearts of Australians.

"We are willing! We are willing!"

In an instant, the cheers of the crowd pierced the skies, making it somewhat difficult to tell whether this was the election site for the Lower House or Arthur's campaign rally.

Then the cheers of the crowd gradually transformed into "Long live Your Grace the Duke! Long live Australia!"

With the Duke first and Australia second, this was enough to show just how dearly these Australians loved their sovereign, even though Arthur had been crowned for a mere few months.

Before they knew it, Arthur's grassroots prestige in Australia had long since far surpassed the former premiers of the several colonies, who were now the governors of the several states.

This was a good thing for Australia's development; after all, a nation's development only required one voice, and with Arthur's foresight accumulated over many future years, Australians would have no need for anyone to step out and sing a discordant tune.

"Alright, gentlemen, continue with your election! On the day the Lower House officially announces the election results, I look forward to some of you becoming formal national parliamentarians." Arthur was very satisfied with the crowd's reaction, and amid the cheers of the people, Arthur left the parliament building.

After a long while, the crowd gradually returned to order and continued with the election that should have proceeded smoothly.

Compared with before, the enthusiasm of the crowd in participating in the election and voting had increased significantly, and everyone wore an excited and thrilled smile on their faces, which was enough to show that Arthur's speech just now was indeed a great success.

May 25, 1900, Sydney, New South Wales State Parliament.

After a brief yet lengthy seven-day election period, the first election of the Australian Lower House was finally completed in a relatively successful manner.

However, because Arthur's speech had been spread by newspapers throughout all of Australia, it led to a massive increase in the enthusiasm of all Australians to participate in the election and voting, making the data even more difficult to tally than estimated.

With a large number of officials working overtime for several days to tally the figures, the final results of the first Lower House election were finally tallied.

Today was May 25, which was also the planned date for announcing the election results.

Early in the morning before dawn, the entrance of the State Assembly was already surrounded by people waiting to announce the results, and as time went on, the crowd continued to grow rapidly, even causing slight congestion on the road at the entrance of the State Assembly.

Everyone was looking forward to the final list of parliamentarians, even though many people knew full well that there was a high probability their campaign had failed, yet they still held onto a shred of wishful thinking: what if today the Goddess of Fortune gave them extra favor?

At eight in the morning, the doors of the State Assembly finally opened.

Two guards walked out the entrance holding a list, looked at the crowd, and said loudly, "Gentlemen, the election results are right here. After I finish reading all the names, people from the City Government will go to notify every successfully elected parliamentarian. For now, please quiet down and let everyone hear the names of all the parliamentarians."

First release, begging for investments, begging for all kinds of ballots!