THE AUSTRALASIAN CONVENTION.

Evening Star, Issue 6477, 19 December 1883, Page 1

THE AUSTRALASIAN CONVENTION.

WHAT THE PREMIERS THINK OF IT. Mr Service gays he is very well plea with the result of the Convention, wmoh terminated more satisfactorily than air-ore could have hoped for at the initiatory sittings. The New South Wales and Queensland delegates evidently did not realise the full importance of the Convention until after a few meetings were held. Then they commenced to thaw, and at the finish up they were quite as warm and enthusiastic as any of the other representatives. Matters might easily have ended in a flare-up if a good deal of caution had not been shown. But the Convention became thoroughly unanimous at last, and the only division taken was upon the question of admitting the Press. On nil other subjects there was perfect unanimity. He thinks New Guinea may be regarded as quite safe, though matters in regard to the other islands are perhaps left a little vague, not, however, through any fault of the Victorian delegates, who were prepared to adopt something very different from what the Convention passed. Still, if England takes the Pacific islands under her piotection, the difficulty about those French criminals would be overcome. At all events, there is every hope now that this threatened evil will be averted. As the New South Wales Parliament is to lead the way in passing the Federal Council Bill, Victoria will not take any further action just at present, though a special session, lasting, perhaps, three or four days, would be. called if there was any necessity for such a course. The Council, in fact, is already established, the Premiers being members, which guards against the eventualities of change of Governments. Good work will certainly be done by this body, which Mr Service regards as a young tree from which first fruits will soon be obtained.

Mr J. C. Bray (South Australia) remarks that in his Colony there is rot a strong feeling for a sweeping annexation of all the Pacific islands. Before Parliament would pledge itself to such a policy it must be acquainted with some idea of the probable expenditure of Government which is to ba shared by the different colonies. Public feeling, however, was undivided about annexing New Guinea, and this was the most pressing want. The other islands would no doubt become the subject of treaty between England and the European Powers. Ho regards the work done by the Convention as very satisfactory. More had been done than he thought to see accomplished, after the frigid manner in which matters were commenced at Sydney. But all that coldness is changed now, and all the delegates seem to be pretty much of one mind on the leading points. There will be no difficulty whatever in getting the Federal Bill passed through the South Australian Parliament. He had not thought yet about calling a special session for the purpose; in fact, Parliament was still in session, and there would be a general election soon. It will perhaps be best to wait until that event is over. Mr Gibiin said the Convention had not been warmly taken up in Tasmania at first, as they feared it meant separation from the Mother Country. But at the Convention he and his colleagues learned the truth, and therefore threw their whole heart into the movement, which now had his warmest sympathies. New South Wales was very lukewarm at first, but the delegates were placed under exceptional circumstances by their Parliament being in session. Bat they warmed up towards the close of the Convention, when their cordiality and uuanibtJVJtllllG Vtl jr t'M AT?* Griffith (Queensland), he came to the Convention with only a small knowledge of the business to be transacted. Coming fresh from the arena of local politics, he was to some extent opposed to the policy of his opponent (Sir Thomas MTlwraith), but with the quickness of a lawyer or a journalist he soon mastered the facts, and became as enthusiastic in the movement as any of the delegates. The new Zealand representatives hold that to secure the islands between New Zealand and San Francisco is of the first importance, and Mr Gibiin thinks this all very well from a New Zealand point of view. As the result of the Gonvention, New Guinea will assuredly be secured, and in all human probability a protectorate will be established over the Western Pacific Islands. It is also probable that ultimately New Caledonia would be secured by a money payment to France. The Convention had certainly laid the foundation-stone of a Federal Council by electing a committee of Premiers, who would always exist no matter what changes of Government occurred. The Council would now easily be called into action by telegraph or correspondence. No difficulty would ba experienced by the Council in dealing with certain subjects, and afterwards obtaining legislative ratification, as the Premiers for the time being represented the majority in Parliament. In fact, the subjects remitted to the Council are of such a character that they can be taken up without prejudice to the local Legislatures. Of course the Council will to some extent be a substitute for the authority of Parliament, but only on minor matters. It was a pity that the Press was excluded from the Convention,* but no doubt now exists that this will not be allowed to occur again. When the Council meets in Hobart, in order to give opportunity for full reports, Mr Gibiin will endeavor to arrange a special reduction in the cable rates. Mr Service, who proposed that the Council should meet at Hobart, had not made any further reference to closer commercial relations between Victoria and Hobart, which was a thing to be desired, and would be advantageous to both colonies. For instance, Victoria would get Tasmanian fruits duty free, and Tasmania would take Victorian wines, which would become a popular drink and manufacture. Of course a free exchange o£ imported goods would be out of the question, but the Gippsland hop-growers would, under such a re-arranging of the tariff, have to put,-, up with competition from Tasmania. Major Atkinson is well pleased with the result of the Convention, though he thinks that on annexation the delegates have not gone far enough. Samoa, Tanna, and Rapa possessed a special interest for all the Australian colonies, and should be secured for their benefit. Matters in regard to New Guinea and the New Hebrides were as satisfactorily settled • as could be hoped for. The Federal Council would be a great aid to Australasian development, and the creation of such a council waa the first beat of the Australasian pulse. Mr Griffith believes the annexation of New Guinea will meet immediate demands, and the protection of Australasian interests in the Pacific might be safely left for the present with the Federal Council. The great, danger that had to be feared was the influx of French criminals, and that he believed had been cheeked. But the Convention had done noble work, and not a day too soon. KAJor atkinson’s speech. The following was our Premier’s speech at the banquet given at Melbourne to the delegates by Mr Service It is a pleasure indeed for me to express the feelings I entertain on the present occasion, and to thank you in adequate terms for the hearty response which you have given to the toast our chairman has soably proposed, I do, however, tender my most sincere thanks. I have no intention at this time of night to trouble you with a long speech. I must ask your permission to xefer to a matter which is now more than twenty years old j because, although at first sight it may not appear to have muoh to do with the occasion we have met here to celebrate, I think I shall be able to show that it baa a very clear connection with it, and, at any rate, as a public man of New Zealand, I . desire to bring it before you. It was shortly after the war broke out in Taranaki that Hie. New Zealand Government were very muds m want of men and of arms, and also of » Vessel to communicate with tHo different, ports. No sooner did_ the Government of. this Colony (Victoria! become aware of that fact than they placed a steamer at ourdisposal.~-(Hear, hear.) Theygga v e na , What arms they could possibly spalre, and 1 ’

they assisted us to enlist as many men as we required.—(Cheers.) As one who saw tho necessity for this help, and the use it was to tho Colony in its distress, I could never forgot the generous treatment, that New Zealand received at the hands of Victoria—: (loud cheers) —and I count it an honor and a pleasure to be able thus publicly to express the thanks of New Zealand to such a representative gathering of Victorians a? I. now see before me.—(Cheers.) Help was given with no grudging hand. The spirit now animating the colonies to a larger extent existed then. The Colony of Victoria recognised that it had duties outside itself. It recognised tho national spirit wo meet hero to-night to honor.—(Cheers.) Lot us follow that up a little, and consider what has been occurring during the last months. Queensland took a move, feeling I that it was her duty to press the English Government to take some action in the South Seas. She felt that the empire of tho islands yet unappropriated was gradually slipping away from the British Crown, ami took some steps, w i hich, although necessarily disavowed by tho Crown, were such as ail colonists must approve of.—(Cheers.) What followed? Victoria is again to the front. She ia t consulted, and. her Premier works up tho matter in thorough goodwill, and with no interested motives and no special interests to servo. Again the national spirit comes forward, again the national duty is recognised, and the Convention from which wo are just returning is the result.—(Cheers.) Now the question of annexation and federation, if they are to be dealt with by the Home Government successfully, must be dealt with in a comprehensive manner. It must not be dealt with from the standpoint of any one colony, but all the colonies willing to give and take as occasion may require. The subject is too large to be more than touched upon on an occasion like this. Let us, however, look at our position and our duties ns colonists. Because, after all, although we have already done a considerable work in passing the resolutions arrived at by the Convention, we must remember that our work is only begun. What is our position ? The colonies now possess a population of 3,000,000. We have a united revenue of L 20,000,000. We possess all the energy and push of the races from which we have sprung. We have means of communication both by sea and by land, which fifty years ago were not known oven in tho old countries, and does anyone at I this tablq doubt that our descendants must bo the rulers of these seas ?—(Cheers.) Under these circumstances does it not behove ua to look a little forward ? Must we not remember how our forefathers have stood for our principles, how they have eased the path for us, and are not we in duty bound to make the path of our descendants as easy and straight as possible ? When we look at the actions of other nations in the South Seas what do we see? We see no power attempting to colonise, but we do see a nation of which I would speak with every respect as being chivalrous, gallant, and one that has dona good service in its day, gradually extending its power, seizing island after island, with all their important harbors, without any reference to our Imperial Government. Knowing as we do that this is not a colonising nation, we are bound as reasoning men to ask ourselves what it means ?—(Hear, hear.) Those who have looked at this matter as I have done, and have had to consider the question of our route from Panama, will see that the French nation have been gradually taking every important island on what must surely be one of the great high roads to these colonies. The only attempt that this great nation has made, to people vthe islands that it has taken is to people them with convicts. We have had notice from this nation that she is going to use these islands as a place co which she will send hundreds and thousands of criminals, and I venture to say that Australasians as one man will say that it shall not be done, whatever the consequences may bo.— (Cheers.) I cannot believe for a moment that the Home Government will permit it. —(Hear, hear.) I cannot’ believe that the Home Government, after having listened to the desire of the colonists that she should cease seuding her criminals, for which there might have been some shadow of an excuse, will allow us to be overrun by the vilest criminals of another nation.—(Cheers.) Thirty years ago and more there was a society formed in London called the Colonial Governments’ Protection Society. Lord Lyttelton was the president, and the object of this society was to protect the colonies from being the recipients of English criminals. One resolution which they passed was that in future any order-in-council that should be passed authorising the transportation of criminals to any colony should be immediately cancelled.—(Hear, hear.) That was the feeling of leading men in England thirty years ago with regard to tho transportation of convicts, and can we doubt that that will be the feeling now ? I say we must stand shoulder to shoulder, as one man, and teil out friends that what they propose shall not be done. We had a very difficult work to perform. We were all new to each other. We really knew very little of one another’s colonies ; and, if you will excuse me, gentlemen, for saying it, I have been astonished at the absence of knowledge existing in these colonies of the Colony from which 1 come. Mr Giblin : Was it mutual’—(Laughter.) Major Atkinson : No ; I venture to say it, was not. If .the statesmen of these colonies, ’ so far as I have had experience of them, had' to submit to an examination os to their knowledge of other colonies, I venture to say that New Zealand would come out at the head of the list. —(Laughter and cheers.) Let that be as it may, it really behoves us to obtain a better knowledge of one another and of our doings and circumstances, and I hope this Convention will have that effect.(Cheers.) lam a man of large faith, and I did not share with my friend, Mr Service, the terrible doubts from which he appeared to suffer when he went up to the Convention. As I told you at the beginning of my speech, I had experience as a New Zealand colonist of the national life that was stirring in these colonies, and, therefore I went to 'Sydney with a larger faith than my bon. friend. There is no doubt that we did and said, many things in that Convention that the other members did not approve of. For myself, I have no doubt that I could very much improve the resolutions which we have passed.—(Mr Service: “ Hear, here,” and laughter.) But we did not go there* to. give expression to oar own views, or to carry out what we individually thought was right. We went to obtain the result of united consultation and the wisdom of the whole colonies. —(Cheers.) I venture to think that when these resolutions come to be carefully considered, not only the colonies but tho mother country also will see that while our demands have been reasonable, and while they have been couched in moderate and respectful languages they will see under them that we are fixed on a purpose which we mean if possible to carry .out. —(Cheers.)' It is clear that tho work before ns rests with the people and the parliaments. Tho duty of the Convention has been fulfilled in, aa it were, giving body to this national idea, which seems to me to be fast spreading all over the colonies, and I submit that we have succeeded in doing that work. It now rests with the people and the parliaments of the several colonies to bring the work to a final result. For myself, I have no doubt about the result. I do not question that the colonies will see their way to uniting for the necessary work outside of this. We must be careful, aa the Convention has been careful, not iu any way to interfere with the private legislation within our separate borders. If we attempt anything of that sort, it is quite certain that this matter must fail; and if it does fail, tho work our children will have to do will be tenfold what it Is now, and to my mind it would be rather terrible to contemplate. I may now say a few words as to what has taken place in New Zealand. Tho question of the necessity of the British Government taking possession of the whole of the islands in these seas was brought under the notice of the Imperial Government by Sir George Grey many years ago in a series of very eloquent despatches. He has kept on ever since bringing it under the notice of the Imperial Government, go that it is ho new thing with us. In 1878, when he was Premier, he wrote a very able memorandum on the question of the New Hebrides, which perhaps you are not aware were included in the Colony of New Zealand through a mistake in the regulation, 1 and all the" reserves which were originally made for the religious bodies and hospitals of New Zealand Were made so that the children from the various Polynesian islands bad d right to attend the schools on the same condition as the children of New Zealanders, .-and the’same was the case with regard to iihe hospitals, so that you will see the question is not new to ,us ,in, New Zealand, in conclusion, I will only say that I hope the igeed is sown ; and, apt.only so, but that it will be but a very short time before we see the first fruits of; our labor. ' X am one of those who believe that the higher the staa-

dard wo set up and continue to follow with sincerity, the higher will be the point that we shall reach—(cheers)—and, holding that view, I look forward not only to the federation of the Australian colonies, but I yet hope to seo the federation of the British Empire—(loud and continued cheers)—and, following that, the federation of the wh<>le English-speaking race throughout the world. —(Prolonged cheering.)