NEW SOUTH WALES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10653, 14 May 1895, Page 5

NEW SOUTH WALES.

FSpecial to Pbess Association.] LONDON, Mat 13. The Times considers that Mr Eeid’a reforms are valuable, especially in regard to the Civil Service. His attempt at. a permanent freetrade tariff is startling in its completeness, and if carried out, the tariff will be more liberal than Great The cordial sympathy of English freetraders may be considered assured. THE POLITICAL SITUATION. COALITION AGAINST THE GOVERNMB NT. SYDNEY, May 13. The new duties are being levied, much to the surprise of the merchants, who resent the fact that Mr Reid made no announcement in bis Budget speech as to their immediate enforcement. Sir H. Parkes, in the course of an interview, said that he had for a long time indicated that the time had come , for breaking up the old parties and forming an entirely new one devoted to Federation. He made it no secret that ho would not give to or ask support from anyone not prepared to make the question of a united Australia the fir fit question of a great national policy. He had taken his stand on the bread platform of a new national policy under the name andbanner of Progressive Federalists, and he would accept the support of any man or camp prepared to build up an Australian Nation. He would not surrender an inch of ground as an advocate of commercial freedom, but to waste valuable time in tinkering with the tariff was nothing short of suicide. The Sydney Morning Herald says either alliance or coalition by Sir H. Parkes with the Protectionists for intercepting and thwarting a resolution in favour of Freetrade would he an act of flagrant and political immorality, recognised from one end of the country to the other. If done in the name .of Federation, the profession would be piipably a pretence. Federation would no more ba served by an alliance between its bitter enemies and professed friends, than Freetrado can be served by Freetrade joining Protection. Federation would bo of little worth if purchased by the destruction of political honesty and the confidence of the country in the good faith of its public men. The ‘ Telegraph says if Sir H. Parkes gains office as the result of a conspiracy, ho may doludo bin own conscience as ho pleases, but the naked reality remains that he will bo a creature of Protection, which his mission has heretofore been to kill. If Freetrade is to be again assassinated, the assassins .will have to face the country redhanded.