WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1891.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 136, 10 June 1891, Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1891.

The appeal .vhich is being made by Sir Henry Parkes to the people o f New South Wales against the recent vote of an adverse parliamentary majority was at first based upon very indefinite issues. The speech which the Cabinet placed in the hands 0[ His Excellency at the opening of the session promised a very liberal programme, including Boards of Conciliation and the adoption of the principle of one man one vote, which has been forced upon the Governments of New South Wales and Victoria, very much against their will, simply by the eloquence of Sir George Grey. . '■, ... .l'~ With regard to Federation, the Governor's speech laid stress upon the fact that tbe Convention had met at Sydney with the full concurrence of the Legislature, and that its resolutions, as embodying the product of the combined wisdom ot Australasia, had special claims upon the consideration of members ©f the New South Wales Parliament. The speech, while pointing out that the Bill which had been drafted by the : I Convention was necessarily the result I of compromise, and implying • that Federation could only be realised by mutual concessions, did not absolutely commit the Ministry to the endorsement of all its details, and it soon became evident that the work of the Con-' vention would be vigorously assailed.. Mr G. H„ Eeid immediately proposed an additional clause to the Address, objecting to the Federal Bill, on the ground that it confers on the Senate powers over revenue, taxation and expenditure, and enables the Federal Parliament to interfere with the railway management and river systems of the colony ; other amendments were also placed upon the Order Paper. Before the want-of-confidence motion submitted by Mr Dibbs compelled Ministers to consider their position, it was evident that the Federation Bill would have to run the gantlet of strong adverse criticism, if it were not actually torn to ribbons in its passage through Parliament. In the Ministerial party there was a majority against assuming responsibility for the Bill as itstood,and a resolution not to fight the elections upon it was formally endorsed at a meetingof Government supporters. The Opposition, under Mr Dibbs, while generally favourable • to - Australian Federation, is likewise indisposed to father the Convention's bantling, consequently no test of public opinion in New South Wales upon Federation as a direct.and specific issue will result from'the approaching polling. reluctance on the part of the late President of the Convention to stand firmly by the measure which he so enthusiastically eulogised before the delegates separated for their homes, is ominous. It means that the measure will be thrown down upon the table of each of the Parliaments of the four leading colonies of the Australian Continent between which Federation appeared most practicable, to be wrangled over in detail. *£he effect of such a proceeding was • fairly forecast in a recent article in the "Melbourne Age." "The present success of the federal catsse," remarks the writer, "wilFbe detarmined by the attitude of the New S-outh Wales Parliament. If the Conversion Bill is treated in a captious spirit by\ that body and amended to

any extent, the other Parliaments are bound to follow suit, and we shall be as far off as ever from any union ot the colonies. If a majority in either House is antagonistic to Federation altogether, the sooner it declares as much the better, inasmuch as the disaffection of New South Wales will be equivalent to the shelving of the whole question, and the other Parliaments will be set free to deal with other questions of public importance. Ot course, however the present electoral contest in New South Wales may end, the Federal Bill will still have to be considered on its merits when the new Parliament meets, but the tenor of the speeches upon the subject makes it pretty clear that the Bill drafted by the Convention will never get through the New South Wales Parliament in its present shape. Mr Abigail, one member of the Ministerial party, recently predicted that not ten members will come back from the country who will dare to say that they are in favour of the Bill as it stands. W hen each of the colonial parliaments has patched at the Bill it will probably emerge from the process a curious conglomeration of contradictions which no Convention, however well-inten-tioned, could whip int© workable shape. Australian Federation appears, in fact, to be further from attainment now than it was before the Convention sat.

According to latest advices the electoral battle in New South Wales will again turn chiefly upon the oftcontested question of protection v. free trade. This issue, with those personal considerations which enter into every election, will determine whether Sir Henry Parkes is still to direct the destinies of the mother colony. Although considerably past the allotted threescore years and ten, there is no doubt that the veteran campaigner will make v good fight for place and power.