The Press. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1885.

Press, Volume XLII, Issue 6248, 28 September 1885, Page 2

The Press. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1885.

Wk diecaseed the other da ? the question of a Pacific Federation with New Zealand at tta head, and came to the ossein* aion that there was nothiag in the proposal. Even were it desirable, the day haa gene past when it would be prsc£eahle to pot such a eoheme into operation. Bat it is different with Australasian Federation. The passing of the Federation Enabling Act makes it practicable far a&y of the Australian eolordee to joia {he kind of Federation that measure contemplatGe, and wm of the eolooias art taking etepe. to bring the Act into force. 3Ehe decision anJTed at by onr House of Bepresantatiroe the other day was that U wae iaadyisabb, daring the late eeeaion and pending farther oooalderatbtt by ibo people Kf \k* colony

of the important issues involved, to ■ adopt legislation having for its object N#w Zealand in the Federal **0-S___e_l 4& iastrala-ia. The resolution Ttoft the maita* entirely open. Tho ques* {g undoubtedly au important one, and eight to be f uHy considered by the people during the recess. Although tha Premier moved a reaolntion expressing the opinion that it wonld be inadvisable that New Zealand should join the Conncil under the existing Act, his speech, as we showed iho- other day, was warmly in favour of Federation. He thought if New South Wales joined we should have to join. He contended that such questions as those of naval defence and the Pacific Islands woald require to be dealt with by the colonies as a whole. Tha Imperial Government, he; argued, wonld be disposed to pay far more attention to the representations of the federated eeloniss than to those of individual colonies, and in thia way New Zealand's voice might earns", to disregarded were she to stand apart. Throughout the whole speech of the Premier, in fact, there was evidence of a halting between two opinions. On the other hand, Mr. Ballance put the question from tbe point of view of tbe opponents of . Federation quite convincingly. He thought that those who were supporting Federation should make out their ease much more clearly than they bad done. It was not enough to maintain, as some of the speakers had, that the arguments against Federation had not been fully stated. It was the duty of those who desired to bring about such a large change in onr Constitution to bring forward convincing arguments in favour ot the alteration. In the course of his remarks Mr. Bali___ce, however, did bring forward a number of excellent reasons why New Zealand should not lightly join the Australasian Federation. The peat danger, of the scheme, he very justly pointed out, was that once we were drawn in we could not on the honor of the State retire, even though there was an express provision in the Act enabling such a step to ba taken. Instead of being able to retire the chances are that we should be drawn in more and more. It is unreasonable to sbppose that if the scheme were once put into operation that it wonld stop there. The Federal Council Act provides for a very imperfect scheme of Federation after aIL It is avowedly only a step in the direction of a complete Federation on the basis of population. Such a federation sa is contemplated by its advocates wonld necessarily absorb many of the functions of the individual colonial legislatures. Even were it admitted that it is desirable that the Australian Continental colonies should be federated, it does not follow that it is expedient that New Zealand should be united with them. Owing to onr insular position and onr distance from the Australian Continent, onr interests must necessarily differ from those of onr neighbours. W_ believe that any federal bond of onion between the Mother Country and the colonies, instead Of uniting the Empire more closely together, wonld havo exactly the opposite tendency. There would-be innumerable occaedons when a severe strain would be put upon the Federal chains. Instead of the, moat •loyal union and generous co-eperation difficulties would crop np, which wonld produce irritation and angry debate, and might end in proposals for separation. We are convinced that were New Zealand to, join an Australasian Federal Union, much the same sort of thing would happen. In connection with such matters as the creation and main, tenaneeof a Colonial navy our interests are net those of Australia. The manner in which snch a Heat .Was, employed in the event of war would often prove an occasion of disagreement. Besides, it has hot been proved that it is either desirable or expedient that there should b© a Colonial navy at aIL We think Mr. Ba__la_tcs is quite right when he contends that we should defend onr own shores and leave to the Imperial Government the duty of protecting the commerce on tho high seas. If the colonies will only do their duty by efficiently protecting their harbors, and perhaps guarding the coastal trade, tha Imperial navy can be trusted to do ihe rest. It is absurd to contend that if New Zealand declines to join the Federation, the English Government would re'nse to look after our interests in the event of war, and attend only to the representations of tho federated colonies. Such a proceeding wonld be an invitation to this colony to declare its independence ot to seek the protection of some other State. The conclusion we arrive at, therefore, ia that it has not yet been shown that it is a desirable thing that this colony should be absorbed into the large Australasian dominion contemplated by tiie advocates of Federation. It is contended, of comae, that the Federal Bill does not provide for anything but the most rudimentary Federation, and that the objects are such as can be: dealt .with by a Federal Conncil. Bat as nfr, Ballancb very properly jointed ontj those who oio satisfied with the Federal Apt just passed have to show thai "the subjects which the Bill deals with could not be satisfactorily dealt with by treaty, by Aots passed in ihe respective Legislatures, or by a general desire on the part of the different colonies to obtain an Inperial Act on some particular question." We believe that such things could be satisfactorily dealt with in the manner indicated; or if it is thonght expedient that these should be some consultation annu__ly"between the. members of the different Australian Governments, that object could be brought about in the fashion suggested by the New Zealand Government Had the Federal Council been made nothing more than a legalised Conference, with power only to initiate legislation, hat not to pass it, some good might have been derived from its deliberations. As it is constituted, however, ire do not look forward with much hope to its being able fo aeeomplieh any satisfactory work. ••