THE FEDERAL CONVENTION.

Hastings Standard, Issue 420, 8 September 1897, Page 3

THE FEDERAL CONVENTION.

CONTINUATION OF THE DEBATE (Per Pras Association. C "]></><(} fit.) Sept. 7. At the Convention this afternoon Sir John Forrest suggested a return to the financial scheme of the 1891 bill. What West Australia wanted was that it should be guaranteed a return from the Federation of some equivalent to the average obtained from Cu-corns during the past few years. Sir George Turner interjected that such a desire was absurd, because Customs at the present time wore abnormal. It would be as reasonable for Victoria to base her return on the amount obtained during her boom years. Mr Iteid was prepared to risk his fiscal principles in view of commanding the national destiny which they were called upon to realise, lie had sufficient faith in his fiscal principles to secure them in the Federal Parliament —if not at first, then afterwards. H» had come to believe more and more that the Adelaide scheme was a clean cut opinion against it. He was convinced that it would be infinitely better to leave the matter to the Federal Parliament as suggested. They should adopt the spirit of the New South Wales Legislative Council's amendment and simply confer power on the Commonwealth to raise revenue to pay expenditure and distribute the surplus. He believed the people would accept the scheme if the members of the Convention showed they had confidence in it themselves. Outside of Mr Reid's speech the debate was most dreary. The delegates were entertained at a banquet to-night. This day. The banquet to the Federal delegates last night was a brilliant function. Governors Hampden, Brassey, and Buxton and Admiral Bridge were present. Speaking to the toast of " The Federation of Australia," Sir E. Barton paid a tribute to the late Sir Henry Parkes as the man who gave the movement a practical and tangible shape. Mr Reid's speech in the Convention boded well for the success of the deliberations. He believed the Convention had now struck one chord " like the sound of a grand Amen."