Dr. LAISHLEY on FEDERATION

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 212, 7 September 1899, Page 2

Dr. LAISHLEY on FEDERATION

(To the Editor.)

Sir,-I have been at some considerable-

trouble to eliminate the extraneous matter from Dr. Laishlcy's letter to you !n Tuesday's issue on the subject of federation. In doing so I have found that the Kangaroo's tail, Enoch and Elizah, the Sydney trade circular, Aesop's ass, and the Roman Law Maxim, valuable as each is In its own way, must go. This irf a loss to the contribution from a literary aspect, as they show the" wide reading of the writer, but they have nothing whatever to do with the subject matter as indicated by the heading. I must, however loth to do so, discard these proofs of erudition and the kindly references which your correspondent makes to those who differ from him in opinion, and whom he styles Micawbers, fanatics, visionaries, or mountebanks.

He states that the problem is, "Would it profit us? Thus we have the problem in a nutshell." Further on. in indicating the processes that should aid us in arriving at some conclusion, lie relegated tlie

"profit feature" to a third place, and treats of it in Friday's issue.

At present I intend as briefly as possible to expose the unfair method In which the writer has placed before your readers the opinions of two of ,those statesmen who attended the Federation Conferences in IS9O and 1891. With your permission I may In a future issue reply to the "profit feature" of the question.

Your correspondent states, "I am not aware that there is any reason why our sages should have changed their views since in favour of the colony federating." He deliberately states this with the full knowledge that both Sir George Grey and Captain Russell were converts to federation from IS9O to IS9I. He has wilfully misled your readers, the public, as to the latest views of the late lamented veteran statesman on the subject, and by using the quotations apart from their context has suppressed the truth. He quotes Sir George Grey thus: "Now, considering all these points, I confess I am in doubt as to whether it would bo better to federate with Australasia or not." Here your correspondent stops, but the words immediately following are:—"But I am certain that the objections which have recently been made to it that I have heard are not of very much validity; of that I feel confident. To federate with Australasia would hold out many advantages."

In his second quotation he is unfair in the extreme, for he omits altogether the principal assertion and omits the words from the second clause. Sir George says:

"These facts all furni.-sh strong1 arguments in my mind in favour of union upon proper terms. But I cannot say yet that I have fully made up my mind upon the subject." Your contributor omits the first sentence altogether and mutilates the second by leaving- out the words "yet that," thus altering the meaning con~ siderably to suit his own purpose. Such grossly misleading conduct inclines me to stop here and let your readers judge for themselves as to the remainder. However, I consider it to be my duty to let them know Sir George Grey's opinion ot the matter as expressed in IS9I. These are the advantages of federation with Australasia as pointed out by him and stated in his own words:—(l) "In the first place, free trade between New Zealand and the Australian colonies would give to the whole of this part of the world a commercial lift which you can hardly conceive the commercial value of. The traffic of four millions of people with one another would produce mercantile wealth the importance of which you can hardly overstate. (2) I really beiievd that the two, Australia and New Zealand, united might determine the future of these (Pacific) Islands in a manner greatly for the happiness of the people in the islands. (3) If we united with Australia it appears to me that any representations made to Great Britain would receive very great attention. (4) A common bar for the two countries would produce a race of more learned and greater lawyers than two single countries. I think greater judges would be obtained on the bench. (5) I believe there would be great openings for all the inhabitants of New Zealand. (6) Australia produces a great number of things which we do not produce, and we produce precisely the things• that they want." In referring incidentally to the question of distance, Sir George says:—

"The freedom of intercourse that is constantly taking place, and the ease of getting from one country ■to another, does away with all idea of distance; in fact, we are as near to Sydney as we are to Dunedin and Invercargill. There appears to be little or no difference between the two distances." To show the veteran statesman's true appreciation of what would take place, I quote the following:—

"I am unwilling still that such a federal act should be passed until after the plural vote has been done away with, and there is a certainty that the new Federal Parliament will be elected by the single vote and not the plural vote." The Commonwealth Constitution is based on the single vote. The above were the views expressed by Sir George Grey, whom your correspondent has the audacity to bring forward as an opponent to federation. Amongst the last words of .his memorable IS9I speech were:—"They (the colonies) are federating on the true principles of mutual love, mutual interests, and mutual regards. All can be federated upon the same principles."

Your correspondent says that Captain Russell spoke exhaustively against federation in August, IS9I, and he quotes one passage from the speech to show thSt the Captain believed that in spite of taxation New Zealand productions would continue to find their way-into Australia. What did t'no Captain actually say in that speech? A few extracts will convince your readers as to whether or not he spoke "exhaustively against federation." He says: "I venture to believe that it is possible to bring about some sort of federal union by which the individuality of the colonies shall remain to themselves, but the laws in which all are jointly interested shall form the subject of general administration throughout the whole of Polynesia." A little further on he speaks thus: "As I proceed you will gain an idea—and it is a perfectly right one—that, without being a convert altogether to federation,l am certainly marching on the road that leads in that direction." "We shall be more likely to secure universal free trade, and, at any rate, derive a greater benefit from intercolonial free trade, by joining this federation than we should receive by remaining an isolated island colony in the South Pacific.'' Your correspondent again misleads his readers by stopping his quotation which said, "New Zealand products must continue to find their way into Australia," without quoting1 the next words: "Brit there are reasons why we should endeavour also to. ; foster this trade with Australia." I shall conclude Captain Russell's quotation thus:—"l have seen in many Australian newspapers that tern» porarily federation is at an end. I scarcely believe that to be the case,but whenever, at any rate, it is galvanised into fresh life, I think we ought not to stand aloof. Whether we are hostile or not, we should not consider that federation is a

question outside practical politics. Wg ought to send a full number of delegates over to any further Convention." The Captain is a strong advocate for federation, but not before the financial question i.s settled, which he believes can be settled. What can be thought of a writer who so endeavours to mislead the publics as to the opinions of the dead statesman ' and the living? His conduct is akin to that for which a referee would order a player off the football ground. Mr Ballance certainly was opposed to federation except a direct federation with the Mother Country; but even were he alive at the present time and of the same opinion one might still be allowed to respect hig opinion and yet differ from it. The present Premier has evidently an open mind on the subject, and as far as can be gath-. ered seems to regard the question as a. "possible contingency."

I regret that it has been necessary to writ%as I have done of one who ought to have stated the case fairly; but under the circumstances I could not refrain from so doing.—l am, etc.,

A. JUcARTHUR,