The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1890. AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1997, 21 January 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1890. AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION.

Vigtoeians and New South Welsh men ' a . re d(jiu g their beat at the present time to talk New Zealand into a * Federation scheme. Not louo 1 the Colonial Secretary of Victoria, Mr Deakin—one of the greatest of Australian orators—made a most thrilling speech on the subject in Dunedin, and now this has been followed up by another powerful speech by the Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales—the Hon. Mr McMillan. There appears to be some discrepancy between the conception of the subject which obtains in Victoria and that which has been promulgated in New South Wales. Both speakers dealt in generalities—the Victorian speaking in favor of a Federal Council, and the New South Welshman giving preference to a Dominion. For the purposes of our remarks we need not draw any distinction between them. Both so far as we are concerned, come to ’the same thing. If we were to consent to either proposal it would amount to handing over the making of our most important laws to a Parliament composed of representatives of all the Australian colonies. We should henceforward cease to be a colony we should become a province of an Australian Dominion or United States, Colonies, or whatever they may be be called. We have not made good use of the liberty we have so far possessed. We are as free a people as there are on the face of the earth • our destinies are altogether in our own hands; no Republic is more unshackled than we are, and if we have ! not made good use of our opportunities it is our own fault. We have not done well; that is certain. Many are starving in the midst of plenty, and even those who enjoy the greatest advantages are not making money so .'•■3u hlv as men in similar positions do in 1 ih; !• countries. Neither the rich, nor the poo-, nor middle classes are doing so well in_ this colony as they ought, and this if? altogether the fault

of our legislators, "We have, therereason to be dissatisfied with existing conditions ; but the suggested change would land us in irretrievable

ruin. We may possibly succeed some day in accumulating sufficient common sense to see the folly of the policy we have hitherto pursued if we retain the making of our own laws in our own

hands, but if we hand over to a Parliament of Australian politicians the power to do so we may as well abandon all hope of ever effecting the reforms necessary to make this colony prosperous. In the first place, Victoria and New South Wales have each about double our population, and consequently each of them would have two members in the proposed Parliament to one New Zealand member. We know what that would result in. Each colony

would, of course, work to secure all the advantages it could for itself, and the colony which had the largest number of memoers would win. We should be exactly in the same position

as Ireland is at present. Ireland sends to the Imperial Parliament 103 members, but they can do nothing because of the fact that England, Scotland, and Wales have close on 600 members, and can outvote the Irish. At one time Ireland from end j to end of the land cried out for closing public-houses on Sunday, and the Irish members introduced a Bill to give legal effect to the wishes of the people. Of the 103 Irish members 100 voted for closing the publichouses on Sunday, and three brewers voted against it ; but the English and Scotch members threw out the Bill, and the public-houses were kept open in spite of the Irish people. Now the position of New Zealand in the Australian Dominion Parliament would be somewhat analogous to Ireland’s position. If we wanted to carry any measure we could not do so without the consent of the representatives of the other colonies. Of course, even if the colonies federated we should still have a Parliament of our own, but its powers would be limited. We would have something like an old Provincial Council to look after small affairs, but the great questions would be settled by the federated Parliament.

Another tangible objection we have to the Dominion scheme is that undoubtedly the wrong class of men would get into power. No poor man could or would possibly get into the federated Parliament, and the laws made there would not be of a democratic character- The proposal, if carried out, would throw all the power into the hands of the rich, and the result would ultimately be rebellion.

Besides these reasons there is still another. We are always complaining of being too much governed— yet here it is proposed to place another Government over the whole lot, thus intensifying the evil. We do not think it is necessary to discuss the matter further. It would be madness on our part to surrender our liberties in such a way. We have a beautiful country of our own; God has separated it from the Australian continent, and if we alter its present position we shall rue it.