Hawkes's Bay Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1877.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3902, 19 April 1877, Page 2

Hawkes's Bay Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1877.

The federation of the Australasian Colonies has long been a favorite theme with English writers on colonial politics. In the colonies, however, it has been always manifest that any union of the kind, except for purposes of defence — and perhaps also for securing, at some fixture time, a uniform tariff — is quite impracticable. A paper on the subject, by the Hon. William Forster, Agent-General for New South Wales, was recently road at a meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute, held in London. The paper was entitled "Fallacies of Federation," audits object was to dispel the erroneous notions entertained by some people as to the practicability of bringing about with any advantage a federation of a group of colonies. After remarking upon the absence of the principal element rendering federation feasible, viz. , a desire for it on the part of the colonists, Mr Forster referred to A'arious historical confederations, demonstrating the difference between them and the colonies of Great Britain. Those confederations, he said, were independent States, with sovereign powers, and the inducements for joining together were of a nature which had no existence with respect to the colonies. The small independent States found themselves exposed to sei"ious dangers from their proximity to large and powerful kingdoms, with which they could not cope singly, and so they were drawn to a union in order thus to become a power by confederation more nearly approaching in magnitude their monarchical or imperial neighbors. There was nothing of the kind in respect to the colonies. They had no sovereign powers, and for the most part they concerned themselves with matters of a municipal character. The conclusion that Mr Forster arrived at was that there were no such large advantages likely to flow from the federation of the colonies as to Avarrant their being, in a manner, forced into it. "Mr Forster did not say," remarks the Hume jVcws, " that the colonies should not group themselves into federal systems, or form federations at their own will or pleasure, but he could not see that it was the duty of the Imperial Government to encourage such federation, or to induce any colonies to embrace such a policy, otherwise than by their own spontaneous action, to which, in his opinion, the question might be safely left for many years to come. Meantime, he thought it better to let well alone." Sir Julius Yogel spoke on the subject of Mr Forster 's paper, pointing out that it did not distinguish between Imperial confederation, and Colonial federation. While he considered the latter impracticable, if not unadvisable, he was strongly in favor of that Imperial confederation which would give adequate representation of each colony in the British Empire. The subject was discussed at two meetings of the Institute. The opinions as to the practicability of federation were somewhat cont?'adietorv, but it is satisfactory to find that on all hands it was agreed that the colonies should be left to do as they pleased in the matter.