AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11455, 21 June 1899, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

REFERENDUM; : DA.Y IN N.S. WALES, , :

UNION DECIDED'■ ON.

Press Associaiion—By Telegraph—-Copyiight SYDNEY, June "{SO. (Received June 20, at 10.15 p.m.)

The referendum was taken very quietly. Great crowds paraded the streets, but the enthusiasm was not equal to that of a general election, largely accounted for by the absence of the personal. element. At 7.30 the official figures were: For Federation ... ... 66,161 Against Federation ... 52,398 The city electorates carried the bill by 10,539 against 9073. ' (Received June 21, at 0.35 a.m.) The suburban vote was nearly equal for and against. The country polled heavily in favour of the measure. The polling was enormous throughout. Messrs Reid, "Barton, Wise, and O'Connor addressed an immense assemblage round the Herald office. Mr Reid received a great ovation. He said the -vote sealed the union of Australia. The official approximate result is: For A ... , ... ... 100,034 Against 78,239 ' '. The anti-billitcs pinned their faith to Sydney suburbs, but were practically defeated there. BRISBANE, June- 20. (Received June 21, at 0.35 a.m.) The Federal Enabling Bill has passed both Houses of Parliament. The referendum to the electors is fixed for September '27

Some interesting, particulars of how energetically the campaignVas being conducted by the federal execiitive. were'furnished by the Premier of New South Wales'the-.other day. Mr Reid said that 95 per cent, of the newspapers of the coloiiy are federal, and that 80 out of 125 members: of the Legislative Assembly are 'fighting fcjr the bill .actively, not only in their own constituencies, -but in' those represented by the'avowed "opponents of union. Local committees have been appointed to work for the'constitution in almost every hamlet and village in the colony, and steps are being taken that-at every one of the 1400 polling-places in the colony ail appeal shall be made to the electors before.'refereridum day arrives. Even the clergy, Mr Reid says', are lending a harid. The Archbishop of Sydney suggested the efficacy of prayer to guide the community on-.polling- day. Then in the north, the Roman Catholic .Bishop of Lismore is one of the, most' a-ctive organisers/and the Anglican Bishop i?f Grafton 'arid- Armidale, who ■as an enthusiastic federalist, had assured.him;-.that .70".0f the leading clergy of his see.were doing all they co\ild to make the campaign a- success. A large body of men in the colony '.who do not attend the mass meetings, but .who-'look at politics ■quietly from a national-standpoint, Mr Reid is convinced, are likely to vote en bloc for the. constitution. . - ■:. ... .;''

\ So completely had the organisation of the federal party been arranged that vehicles were to he provided on-polling day to take voters to booths, just as if an. ordinary political contest were being carried on. ' .' Spealdng at Ulmarra,. the, Premier concluded ;,as follows:—" Even .the sun has spots on it, which are the ■ MacLaurins and Holmans of its physiognomy. They are drawbacks, but there they are. j . Could anyone desire to put a black curtain over the sun because of them? Are we then t6 refuse union because there are blemishes in the Federal Constitution Bill, which.is,- on the whole, an admirable and democratic measure?"