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UNIFICATION.

_ 4 MR. DEAKIN'S WARNING. By Telegraph—Press Association—CopyricM Melbourne, March 16, Mr. Deakin, Leader of the Federal Opposition, speaking at Maryborough, predicted unification in three years. If the referenda proposals were carried the State Parliament would be reduced to the status of glorified shire councils. PROPOSALS CONDEMNED. Sydney, March 16. The Chamber of Commerce adopted a series of resolutions condemnatory of the Federal. Referenda proposals. A CONSTITUTION IN THE MAKING. Unification is not a new idea in Australia. It Jias been talked ot for many years, and in an interesting article iii 1908 tho Australian corresponuent of "The Times" said of it:— "in the days when we were still struggling towards Federation, unification was a much-discussed substitute; and many who voted for the milder' alternative did so only because they knew the stronger was, in fact, unattainable. For the only way to Federation, or to any form of coherence, was through the State Legislatures. That was the weakuess of the 1891 Federation Bill—that it was the creation of the Legislatures, who had chosen the members of Convention, not of the people at large; and when the people at last were given a direct interest in the election of their Constitution makers, the local Legislatures (especially that of New South Wales) were never tired of hamparing and meddling with the work of the great Convention. Because they had the upper hand—because there was no other way, except through avowed revolution—they had to be conciliated, and so the Constitution became a compromise. When publicists blame Australia for following the American, rather than the Canadian, plan of Federation, they will do well to remember that we had American rather than Canadian conditions to deal with. The immediate object was to secure some form of united action, to free ourselves in some degree from the tyranny of the hostile seaports. Having once gained that, tho apparatus of a genuine unity might be gradually built up. "Von will understand now why the Constitution is not sacrosanct. Australians, as I have often pointed ont, are constantly learning from tho United States what to avoid. Among other things they arc learning the folly of idolising their Constitution. It was the best'instrument that could be devised under tho conditions existing in the nineties; as much of it as was devised with a single eye to tho, good of Australia will remain untouched for many years, a monument to the skill of its makers. But the provisions which were inserted purely to conciliate the State legislatures— the lubricant, so to speak, that greased the skids for the launching—they, sooner or later, must disappear. "Roughly speaking, these lubricating provisions are these which recognise the existing States. as. permanent and fovcveign within their existing boundaries, oxcent so far as a few out of the many subjects of pan-Anstrolian concern aro entrusted to the handling of the Federal Parliament."

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19110317.2.59

Bibliographic details

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1078, 17 March 1911, Page 5

Word Count
477

UNIFICATION. Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1078, 17 March 1911, Page 5

UNIFICATION. Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1078, 17 March 1911, Page 5

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