THE CONFERNCE OF PREMIERS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9019, 4 February 1895, Page 5

THE CONFERNCE OF PREMIERS.

Fress Aasocutfon-Sy Telegraph-Copyright Lokdox, February 1. The Daily Chronicle congratulates the Hobarfc Conference on its intelligence and patriotism in overcoming ! tho difficulty respecting the scheme of federation. Sydney, February 2. ! The Daily Telegraph says the Conference of Premiers must be complimented on the plain recognition of the fact that federation on any other than a wide democratic basis is foredoomed. The previous convention was chiefly remarkable for the splendid mistake it made in ignoring the people, and the democracy of the colonies repudiated it with all its works, thus causing federation to sustain a disastrous check. Fortunately the Premiers assembled at the Conference this week were quite alive to this danger, and decided that the lines of the last Convention must be abandoned, with the view of broadening the basis of the movement to one of complete and absolute democracy. The most hopeful augury that something practical will result from the Conference is in the suggestion that each colony should elect a Convention of its own, sufficiently large to allow of every shade of popular opinion to be clearly reflected, then these Conventions shall elect frbm themselves a body with authority to prepare a constitution for the people finally to accept or reject by a referendum vote.