AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4318, 29 March 1901, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

[THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. (Received March 28, 10.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 28. Preparations are complete for the great vote to-morrow, when the States of New South "Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and "West Australia will select their Federal representatives for both Senate and House of Representative?. The elections in Queensland and South Australia will take place on the following dayThe campaign throughout has been marked by quiet, steady, earnest work by all parties, and a lack of petty bickerings, candidates and voters alike being fully seized with a sense of the momentous nation-making issue at stake.

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE BATTLE. (Received March 29. 1.11 a'.m.) STDNEY. March 28. Mr Reid has, through the press, issued Ms last -word of appeal to the electors on behalf of Freetrade. He urges tho electors to “Rally round the standard of Liberty.'’ The Freetraders are tonight holding a demonstration in the . Exhibition Building, and the Protectionists have gathered in Moore street. Otherwise, the city is very quiet, and there is little to indicate to-morrow’s great event.

STRENGTH OF PARTIES. (Received March 28 10.35 p.t0.l SYDNEE. March 28. The election campaign has practically closedt Few of the candidates are holding meetings to-night, . but final party rallies were held earlier in the week. The Commonwealth has to-elect 36 members for tbe Senate. There are 125 nominees to choose from, ■ classified as ifolloWs : —Ministerial, 51; Opposition, 50; Independent, 16; Labour, 8. For the 75 seats in the House of Representatives, 187 candidates have been nominated, classified as follows:—Ministerialists, 99; Opposition, .63;: Independent, 12 ; Labour, 13.