NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1956, 20 August 1891, Page 28

NEW ZEALAND AND FEDERATION.

(From ' Our Melbourne Correspondent.)

In the Victorian House of Assembly when the draft Federation Bill was in committee, at the first line of the preamble Sir Bryan O^Loghlen moved that the word "Anatralasian" should be struck out, and the word 11 Australian" substituted, his object being to exclude New Zealand from the federation. The amendment received the support of many members representing farming districts, on the ground that if New Zealand were, admitted into the federation on the basis of free interchange, Victoria would be swamped by oats and barley from that fertile colony. Other members considered that as the people of New Zealand were determined nob to come in they should be taken at their word. Both sides of the question were debated with spirit for three hours and a-half, and over 20 members had given their views upoa it before a diviaion was taken, and the amendment was rejected by 34 votes to 27. In the debate Mr M'Coll, who supported the amendment, went into figures, nnd by showing the large importations of New ZsaUnd produce that have taken placo in e pite or high duties, he argued that the result of unrestricted interchange would ba disastrous to the Victorian farmer. la joining with New Zealand, Victoria would hi giving everything away, and would recoive nes j to nothing in return. Tha only reason Kr Armytage could see for the inclusion of Nev? Zealand was that tbat^colony would be open to the exploitation of Victorian manufactures, and that; was an argument that ought to be ki-pb decently in the background. Ttio supcre:!'o;.<3 attitude assumed by New Zealand was particularly offensive to that hon. member, and h- ?.■!& inclined to reply in schoolboy fashion, " Wo 1 !, let her stand by herself, and ba blowed to bf>r." On the other side there were eoms stirrirg speeches. The t-afc federal position was strongly stated by Mr J. B. Patterson, who pointed out that the argument drawn from tbe greater productiveness of Now Zealand in certain direction 1 ? applied with equal force to a union with New South Wales or with any obher colony, and even t ) union batween different parts of Victoria itself. "Let U3 look at the matter frctn the broader standpoiut," said he, "and avoid these petty localisms which would mike federation impossible." Sir Matthew Davies thought, it not incompatible with the neutrality of Iho Speaker's chair on party questions to urge upon tho committee tha neeessifcy of a policy of giva-and-t-iUfl in auy proposed federal partnership, f>n<l r£ looking beyond the supposed effects of fedr ration upon particular industries. Bac tha csu>t indignant protest agaiosfe the aniendineuu cc-m^ from the Premier, who declared, with a vehemence unusual even for him, that ho wonld he ashamed of the Assembly if it agreed tn th« proposal. "It would be a disgrace to us," s.ti«l Mr Munro, "both as a Parliament cud as a people." The other colonies, he contended, had much better reasons for excluding Victoria from the union, and that would mean absoluto ruin not alone to Victorian agriculture but for Vie« toriau commerce and Victorian manufactures.