ANNEXATION AND FEDERATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2919, 31 January 1884, Page 5

ANNEXATION AND FEDERATION.

ADDRESS BY THE HON. |F. WHITAKBR. [Per Peess Association.] Auckland, Jan. 8. The Hod. B\ Whitaker, delegate to tbo lato Intercolonial Conference, addressed a public meeting to-night, m the Theatre Boyal, on tho proceedings of the Conference aod tho questions of Federation and Annexation. Hit Worship the Major presided. There was a good attendance On coming forward Mr Whitaker was well received. He said : It was not a matter of surprise to him on coming to Auckland to learn that the citizens wore anxious to know what had been done at the late Convention, but he felt it due to Government to consult it befjre making any address, m case he complicated matters or embarrassed the action of Government. The Premier telegraphed to him that he saw no objection to his giving a publio address on tho proceedings of the Convention. Ho might at the outset say that the proceedings throughout were of the moat friendly charncter, and he never met a body of men more fully bent on doing their duty to tho colonies they represented than those he met at Sydney. If ever it was his lot to act as a delegate again, be hoped to meet such a body of men, or men actuated by a similar spirit. He and his colleague were favorable to the admission of the Press, but tho majority oE the delegates opposed it, and give, he must say, cogent reasons. In carrying on the business, the delegates determined to have no long speeches, but to transact matters m a free conversation, which proved very useful. Some thingii were said m the Convention about the French convict scheme, which it would have been highly impolitic to have published m the Press, us it would have givon riso to great unpleasantness with the French authorities. The New South Wales Parliament was also sitting at the time, and it would have hampered the action and speech of the New South Wales delegates, and complicated matters m the Legislature of that colony. The lecturer then detailed the circumstances which led to tho meeting of the Conference, vis., the annexation of New Guinea by the Queensland Government, and the disavowal of soch steps by ihe Imperial authorities. He thought the action of the Imperial authorities not unreasonable, as isolated colonies might make complicated and discordant proposals as to annexation, which the Homo Government could not adopt or entertain. When tho Australian colonies combined aad agreed on a common policy with regird to An~ nexation, Federation and the South Sue. Islands, their representations would bo listened to by the Imperial Government.. The question aro3e m appointing delegaten to the Conference ac to how they wero to be eelected. It w*s agreed, as the respectivo Governments had to bo responsible and carry matters through, that the gentlemen appointed should be connected with the several Administrations. He would have been glad to soe Sir George Grey at the Conference, and have worked with him, but the delegates of other colonies might have objected to Now Znaliißd being exceptionally represented. He (Mr Whitaker) waa the only delegate present who, though holding office when tho Convention was arranged, was nol m offiLo at the time. Sir George Grey, m his late address on Federation, had gone over many of the points he intended to have der.it with, and it was not necessary to do co at length. The delegates did not pretend to have power to bind the colonies they represented. They only met to discuss tho questions whicti might arise, and then to recommend them jointly to the Legislatures of tho colonieu. They recommended a common scheme which they deemed it best to pursue, '.caving it to tho representatives of the people to aocept or reject it. Tho Syducy Press showed latncnUblo ignorance on this subject ; and an impression was given that th« colonies would wake up to find their liberties gone and vested m tho Convention. Nothing wns moro absurd. Another fallacy was that it was a nieoting of privato gentlemen on a holiday excursion. Their appointment is delegates woe us authoritative an act a? could ba made by tho Governments conccrnod. The Convention kept to threo subjects principally — the annexation of New Guinea, French convicts and Federation. All soils of schemes wero propounded, and le'lors forwarded to them, which, if they had been entertained mid discußSed, would have kept tho Convention yet m session. They embraced every tcp:o — from extermination of rabbits to colonisation of certain South Sea Islands. The Convention simply ignored them. A» to the annexation of New Guinen, ho had reason to believe it would bn an accomplished fact within six months. With rcgird to tho Frenoh couvict transportation scheme, he believed they woro justified m taking any und overy menus to provent an influx of French criminals into the Australian colonies, and ho had taken notion m tho Conference on tho subjeot. New Zealand was deeply interojtod m tho federation of tho South Sea Islands with the Australasian Group. Fiji, it was understood at the Conference, was willing to como m. Nothing could bo dona with Tonga or Samoa without a breach of international law unless it was their o<»n dofire to como into Australasia" federation. It was necessary nlso to get certain other South Sea Islands put m that, position, so that if not annexed at least tbey were nut beyond tho fim»p of Foreign Powers. The Fr'onoh tho othov day took possession oE Kaalor T»!und, and were going on enoroavjh- , | ing, owing to tho aupinencjß of ijhe

Britiih .Government, and if the !Frenoh authorities' succeeded m thdir wicked Boheiae of catting criminals wholesale npon tbe Paciflo lelatdt, they would become a pandemonium. The juostion of Federation received great attention at the Convention, and -.hoy w*Dt on tho pre-odentfl of tie Canadian Confederation as to the mode of notion and exercise of powen, namely, to submit their concerted plans for approval to the teveral Legislatures. The lecturer showed tbo advantages to each colony of Federal lann being m force for fraudulent btnkruptoy, extradition of offenders, cases of wife detection, copyrights, weight!, measures, Ac. Idstead of the Conferenco being .-egarded as desirous of abolishing tha libetties of the people it was entitled to their gmtitude. He bad doubts of itn success id the first inntancf, bat ihese had be;n dissij>ated. The questions it hud dealt with were not party questions, and unity of action was necesi&ry. As he cooiil not be a member of a Government again, the question had no party character to hia mind. If called upon to act m a delegate at any further Convention he would act with pleasure with Sir G. Grey or uny other gentleman m carrying out whatever might be boat far thoir adopted country. The Government! represented at the Conference ioteided lo watoh tht> conree of events, to kenp tbe Imperial Government advised on the qcestioss whioh the deiu'ates had ditousser). We might not get ITerljration to-dsy or to-morrow, but it wag a necessity m tha future, and he irss ?lsa bis name was associated with the . initiition of wbut be hoped would yet ie the federation of the whole Paciflo. Tbu leotnnr was loudly applauded. Jfr J. C. I'irth moved, and Mr J. M. Shera seconded a motion — "Ihst it hearty vote of thanks be accorded the Hon. F. Wliitaker for his able itnd coo) prehensile address." Corned by acclamation. Among thone present at th" meeting ware the Hon. E. Mitchelson, Mipistsr of Publio Works, and a number of members of tbe Legislative Council and General Aiißembly, and many lesciing citizens.