Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1890. FEDERATION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXVI, Issue 212, 12 September 1890, Page 2

Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1890. FEDERATION.

A modebn historian whose views are of considerable weight, discussing the position of the British colonies has said : "So far as one may judge of the tendencies of modern times, it would seem that the inclination is to the formation of great State systems, The* days of small independent systems seem to be over." If this be £0, it may safely be asserted that great State systems cannot be held together by uniform principles of legislation. The choice would be between small independent States, and the principle of federation adopted m the formation of the Dominion of Canada. Having lai 1 this down as an axiom he proceeds to argue that Australia is well suited by her geographical position, and the circumstances of her political growth to form, if it were necessary, a confederation of her own, m which New Zealand might naturally join. That this colony must of necessity form part of the confederation, if it were Australasian, he takes as a matter of course. The debate m the House last Saturday conclusively proved that our legislators do not agree with him. There was not a single fpeech m favor of our joining the Federation, though a few were inclined to send delegates to the Federal Council. We do not well see how there could bs much said m favor of the scheme, unless it is that reciprocity m tariffs is to be established, and that, at present, is most unlikely. Federation with Australia would involve the sinking of our own nationality, and the giving up of that independency we have now become accustomed to. In the opinion of stay-at-home English politicians it may appear natural that New Zealand should be considered an appendage to Australia ; but Sir John Hall's argument, that the 1200 miles that separate ns are 1200 reasons for not joining, is more practical. Not only would we be too far off m time of war to receive assistance easily, but m times of peace our distance from the seat of Government m Australia j would pi event the colony from securing that • efficient representation it would require. As the representatives would be m proportion to population, our share would be but small, and New Zealand might easily find itself out- voted on some question of the utmost importance to the Colony. Tho federation of Australia we believe may, at some time, be brought about. The feeling is growing among Englishmen the world over, that Imperial Federation, even though a " beautiful dream," as Mr Bryce puts it, is not at all an unlikely event. When we recollect the marvellous manner m which the English people have colonised the waste places of the earth, and look at the extension that is even yet going on, as witness the Cap?, Canada, and the Central African territory; when we take into consideration the vast sums of money that Englishmen have invested t in these colonies, the blood relationships that exist between us and the Old Country, and the growing strength of the British Empire, there seems nothing unreasonable m anticipating that some day we shall see what Justin McCarthy has called " a great and grand confederation of the British Empire .m which England, Ireland, and the colonies shall bo represented." If there were no other good to come from Sir Charles Dilke's " Problems of Greater Britain" than to. make clear the feasibility of such an idea, it will not have been published m vain. This year wo commence to contribute to the support of the British Navy, a v practical form of showing that we are already federated with the Mother Country. Bound together, it has been said we are, by a "thin red cord" of blood, and it will be better for us to remain so, rather than join m any gelfaggrandising schemes such as it is known some Australian politicians cherish,