AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3639, 13 January 1899, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

GABLE NEWS.

[per PBKSS ASSOCIATION. —COPYIUOHT.]

PROPOSED CONFERENCE OF PREMIERS. CONSIDERATION OP THE DRAFT BILL. Sydney, January 13. The Premiers of Victoria (Sir Oeorgp Turner), South Australia (Hon C. C. Kingston) and Tasmania (Sir E. C. N. Braddon) havo signified their agreement to tho proposed conference of Premiers, and to the admission of Queensland to it. The conference, which was proposed by the Hon G. Reid (Premier of New South Wales), is to meet at Melbourne on tho 31st inst.

In his letter to the Premier of Victoria suggesting the desirability of holding a conference of Premiers prior to the meeting of tho Federal Council, Mr Reid pointed out that the Bill drafted by tho National Council of .1897 for a federal union was referred to the electors of Now South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. , Although the Bill was approved by largo majorities in the three latter colonies, the total number of votes recorded m its favour in Now South Wales did not roach tho statutory minimum, the result being equivalent in point of law to a rejection of the measure. During the recent session tho Parliament of the Mother Colony had, by a separate aeries of resolutions in each House, set out tho most prominent objections to the Bill. “I believe,” continues the letter, “ that there exists in the other colonies which have been actively engaged in the movement a desire that an effort should be made to amend the draft Bill in some respects, so as to ensure, or at least improve, the prospects of its acceptance in this part of Australia. If I am not mistaken in the latter view, important questions immediately present themselves. In tho first place, as to the procedure to be followed in order that the matters we propose to, submit, and those which any other Government may wish to submit, may be duly considered, and in the end submitted to tho constituencies —the decision of a simple majority should be universally accepted. I think, after the thorough discussion of the subject which has taken place, it appears to this Government that whatever the subsequent stages may bo, the first step in a renewed advance towards union is a meeting of tho Prime Ministers of tho colonies hitherto acting together, or of those Prime Ministers who consent, or will be able, to attend a meeting of that character.” Received January 48, 1240 a.m. Sydney, January 12. Sir John Forrest (Premier of Western Australia) has informed Mr Reid of his acquiescence with tho conference proposal.