THE FEDERATION QUESTION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9817, 28 August 1897, Page 8

THE FEDERATION QUESTION.

THE COMMONWEALTH BILL

Frees AsßocuOion—By Telegraph—Copyright.

Sydney, August 27. There was a crisis when the Commonwealth Bill reached the Legislative Council last night. On the first financial clause providing that the Dominion Government should have exclusive power to levy customs and excise duties, Dr. MacLaurin moved that it be struck out. Despite Mr Barton's strong protestations that federation would be incomplete without such a provision which was necessary to bring- about free trade between the colonie3, the amendment was carried. Mr Barton immediately intiiu&lcd thai he would abandon the control of tho Bill. Mr O'Connor supported the stand taken by MiBarton, and they both left the Chamber, the Vice-President taking charge of the remaining clauses of the Bill. After the main financial ones had been struck out, the Council adopted the preamble, which was amended by the insertion of words acknowledging Almighty God as the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. The incident created considerable excitement. The Bill has jiow been forwarded to the Legislative Assembly. Mr Barton said that the cumulative effect of the various amendments proved that the Council was aiming at the destruction of the Federal principle of the measure. He would take no further part in the discussion. He would lay the amendments before the Convention, but whore they tended fco the destruction of the Federal Bchemo, he would ask the Convention to ignore them.

Mr O'Connor warmly supported the etand takon by his Convention colleague. He said that Mr Barton's announcement amounted to a declaration that he refused any longer to be made, against his will, the chief actor in the farce carried on by the Council.

The lato Commissioner Eddy's report to the Premier upon the proposed federation of the railways has been made public. Hβ states that the present unsatisfactory condition of things makes it apparent that some common concerted action between the systems of the different colonies is absolutely required for the conduct of the intercolonial traffic. He puts forward two schemes, the details of the working of which be carefully elaborates. First, that all the railways be vested in a Federal Railway Board responsible to the Federal Parliament, the Board to be absolutely of a non-political character; and second, that each State retain its own railways and all the financial responsibilities in connection therewith. Perth, August 27. Messrs Briggs and Chowder, members of the Council, and Mr Venn, member of the Assembly, have been elected Federal Convention delegates in the place of Messrs Piesse, Sholl and Taylor resigned. The delegates have left for Sydney. Parliament has been prorogued to October 6th. Adelaide, August 27.

In the Assembly, on the Commonwealth Bill, an amendment was carried in favour of elective Ministries. A new clause was added to prevent deadlocks by means of the referendum, and the acknowledgment of God was inserted in the preamble.