FEDERATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XX, Issue 6167, 24 January 1895, Page 3

FEDERATION.

(By Electkic Telegraph.—Copyright.) (PER U2TITED PRESS ASSOCIATIDS.) Received January 24, at 11 a.m. Melbourne, January 24. An enthusiastic meeting on the subject of federation was held at the Town Hall Est night, the Chief Justice presiding. Mr Reid, Premier of New South Wales, said that it seemed to him that the vital defect in the last few years in the direction of federation was that it never seemed to quite come home to the hearts of the masses. The first essential of a thoroughly successful federal movement was popular enthusiasm. If not obtained in that way it could only come by a popular panic. Let them take care that they were not some day compelled to do in mad haste, th.it which had much better be done at leisure. They must not forget the great work done by Sir H. Parkes and the Sydney Convention. Much of the draft constitution then framed would be acceptable in future. As an observer of the proceedings of that Convention he had been unfavorably struck, at its close, by what seemed the feverish anxiety to smother the conflict of opinion upon matters of great importance in the draft Bill. There had been too palpable a bid for federation at any price. He was sure that New South Wales was not prepared for such a federation, and that they would never take the irrevocable step of a legislative and executive union unless they could see before them, for their acceptance, a definite, sound, and economical arrangement. He feared for the success of any new plan for placing the subject on a sound living basis unless the people specialty selected the framers of constitutions. Parliaments and Governments had tried to do it and failed. Mr Kingston. Premier of South Australia, and Mr Lirke, Canadian representative, also spoke.