The Thames Star. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1897. FEDERATION IN AUSTRALIA.

Thames Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 8621, 27 March 1897, Page 2

The Thames Star. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1897. FEDERATION IN AUSTRALIA.

Australian federation is a movement which—like all questions of centralisation or decentralisation—has grown with the population. Years ago —somewhere between 1846 and 1850—the early constitution of Australia was being moulded by the creation of four separate colonies—New South Wales, Van Dienian's Land, South Australia, and Victoria—and it was then that the first federal question arose The point which was then the subject of debate was whether the whole of the colonies should be governed locally by Provincial Councils and at the same time be federally united under the government of an Intercolonial Congress, having these District Councils foi its constituents; or whether the. colonies should be made separate constitutional units without any federal legislative machinery to deal with intercolonial questions. On this question the division arose. In those days, the respective colonies were little more than coastal settlements, and localisation of feeling and interest was naturally very marked, and it decreased only in the same ratio as civilisation and population increased. To quote from Dr. Quick in his " Outlook of Federation," it was contended by the majority of colonists in 1850 that "owing to tl*e vast extent of territory comprised within one province, the smallness of the population, the great distances by M'hich the respective capitals were separated from each other, and the consequent obstacles to free and easy communication, any Federal scheme of government was impracticable if not impossible." As another obstacle, the Legislative Council of New South Wales (the oldest colony) passed a resolution objecting to " any plan of Intercolonial Congress in which the superior wealth and population of New South Wales, as compared with the other colonies of the Australian group, should not be fully recognised." In the face of th9se adverse circumstances, the first ebullition of Federal sentiment became a thing of the past, and was laid aside to await the pro-! gress of the old man with the scythe | before attempting reincarnation.

The constitution which was eventually adopted received the royal assent in 1850. It provided for the appointment of a Governor of New South Wales aud Lioutenant-Gover-uurs of th# other colonies, the first-

named authority to be CaptainGeneral and Governor-General of all the colonies. Dr Quick saj rs : —

The anomalous character of the appointment of Governor-General needs a brief explanation. It was merely a titular appointment, made purely in the exercisa of the royal prerogative as the fountain of public honors and dignity. The object was to give the Governor of New South Wales a substantial precedency, so that there might bo a recoguised medium of communication between the intercolonial communities. It was not intended that the Governor-General should exercise practically any interference with the administration of the Governments of the colonies of Van Dieinan's Land. South Australia, or Victoria. Each colony was to conduct its own administrative affairs separately from and irrespectively of the affairs of the rest.

Thus, though federation by popular representation had — for the time being—been banished, the Federil status still found a restricted expression in the Vice-Eoyalty.

It was in 1805 that *;he present system of responsible Government, -with two Chambers of legislation, came actually into force. From that year a long period elapses before we hear much more of Federation. In •57 and '70 a few feeble efforts to advance the federal question were made in Victoria and New South Wales, but it was not until 1881 that the " reincarnated" movement received any tangible form. In that year an intercolonial conference held in Sydney, and presided over by Sir Henry Parkes, adopted a basis for forming a Federal Council. Sir Henry Parkes afterwards condemned the scheme, but another intercolonial conference in 1883 4 adopted a plan " for the establishment of a Federal Council having a jurisdiction to legislate in such matters as the relations of Australia to the islands of the Pacific, prevention of the influence of criminals, fishing in Australian waters, the mutual enforcement of intercolonial judgments," etc. In 1885 thj^Fedoral Council was validated by the Act of the Imperial Parliament, and came into existence, but New South Wales refused to join it. The Council has proved almost entirely a failure as far as actual results are concerned, and is commonly used in Australia as a by-word for anything useless and effete.

Another step in the Federal movement is marked by the Conference of Premiers convened in 1890 by Sir Henry Parkes. The Conference arranged for the summoning of a Federal Convention, consisting of six delegates appointed ly the legislature of each colony to draft an organic federal constitution of the whole Australian group. The Convention met in 1891, and adopted the Commonwealth Bill of Federal Union, which was to be passed by the various colonial Parliaments. But popular feeling was so cold that the Bill never passed beyond a few half-hearted debates. The efforts of Sir Henry Parkes were palpable failures. In 1893 an unofficial, but widely representative Conference was held at Corowa, New South "Wales, which unanimously resolved: "That, in the opinion of this Conference, the legislature of each Australian colony ought to pass an Act providing for the election of representatives to attend a statutory convention or congress to consider and adopt a Bill to establish a Federal Constitution for Australasia, and, upon the adoption of such measure, it be submitted, by aome frocess of referendum, to the verdict of the electors of each colony." Dr. Quick, who was one of the most active members of the Conference, describes the passing of this resolution as "a germinal event; it placed the measure on a fresh track of national development."

In February, 1895, Mr Eeid, the Free-trade Premier of New South Wales, summed a conference of Premiers at Hobart, which almost unanimously adopted the mode of procedure voiced at Corowa. The conference adopted the Federal Enabling Eill, which provided that the electors of each colony should elect delegates who should form the Federal Convention ; that the latter should draft the constitution, which should be submitted for amendment to the various Colonial Parliaments; and that the constitution as finally amended should be submitted to a referendum of the pepple. This chain of political machinery has already been fully discussed in our columns, and it is sufficient here to say that the Convention has been elected and is now hard at work moulding the constitution of the prospective Australian Dominion. Queensland alone—through the potency of the colored labor problem—stands out of the combination.

In tracing the course of Federation, the most convenient method would probably be by briefly sketching the careers of Sir Henry Parkes, Messrs Barton and Deakin, and others who have been closely connected with the various stages of its history. As regards the latest phase of development—the progressive stage which has brought Australia close to a grand consummation—the honour belongs firet and foremost to Mr Reid. The Premier of New South Wales took up the movement where Sir Henry Parkes I had left it in 1891, and " imparted to it ' a new motive power by linking it directly to the popular will." The Convention of 1891 was the nominee of the legislatures; it was at best but secondary representation; it lacked the support of popular enthusiasm. The Convention of to-day is the elect of the people; it is called into existence by the direct popular fiat; at both ends —by election and referendum—it consults directly the will of the people. Hence we have popular interest where formerly existed popular indifference. Up to 1893 it was the Parliaments— always the Parliaments—which represented the tribunal of initiative and appeal, and the first note of the new campaign so ably conducted by Mr Eeid was sounded at the Corowa Conference, to which we have referred. The old Convention was official; today it is national.

The object of this article being merely to review the growth of Federation, we will not herein attempt to deal with the problems of franchise, finance, &c. In moulding the constitution the Convention has the Commonwealth Bill as a basis to work on —a measure the practical value of which is universally admitted; and popular feeling will doubtless find a course for the new measure which the Bill of 1891 sought for in vain. If the Federation of the Australian colonies is at once accomplished, it will undoubtedly be one of the greatest achievements of the century. The English-speaking race has two Federation ideals before its eyes just now —the one continental and the other imperial. It may yet happen that Australian Federation will be the stepping-stone to the commercial Federation of the Empire.

Newspafeb fileej recently to, hand, throw considerable light on the manner in-which the new Wanganui Hospital waa obtained— that paragon of public subscription which Dr. McGregor is always dangling before supplicant communities. It appears that Wanganui has been agitating for a new hospital for something like a decade. About the year 1890, a benevolent gentleman named Thomas Reid died, leaving £5000 in aid of the Hospital fund; and sometime prior to that a bequeßt had been made by Mr Robert Hill, which, aided by *he Government subsidy, provided £415 for Bid purchase of a new site. These united bequests oortainly formed a very substantial basis for the Wanganui public to commence subscribing.. In rough 'figures, the total amount expended on the new building is £11,800, contributed as follows: Feid bequest, £5000; Government grant, £1500; Government subsidy on subscriptions, £2900; subscription of general public, £2400—0r a little over one-fifth of the total. And yet Dr. McGregor abuses this district for not subsoribingf 4000 or £5000offhand,and refers usto Wanganui as an example! Jf Dr. McGregor will find a man with a £5000 bequest—unfortunately such philanthropists do not grow like blackberries—we are quite certain that the public will be prepared to emulate Wauganui.

Mr W. A. Graham informs a Waikato contemporary that he has received a telegi'&m stating that the question of introducing during the forthcoming session the Bill granting the bonus of £50,000, in connection with the establishment of the sugar-beet industry, is before the Cabinet. Mr Graham has communicated with the Premier, pointing out the desirability of doing co.

The right of occupying the goods sheds on the Shortland and Grahamsfcown Wharves was submitted to auction by Mr R. R. McGregor this morning. Mr H. C. Gillespie, agent for the Northern Steamship Company, secured the right of occupancy of both sheds at £26 per year each— that being the upset price. A nbw advertisement f jom Mr F. J. Ray, chemist and druggist, who intends commencing business here,'will appear'in Monday's issue. Mr Ray comes to the Thames with a good reputation, having been engaged in several London houses, notably with Messrs Corbyn, Stacey>:!and Co., New Bond street.

Aluminium horseshoes, weighing 4oz the set, have been made by a Wairarapa blacksmith.

There are 40,000 volumes of the choicest -vorks iv the Parliamentary Library at Wellington.

It has been decided to call for tenders for the removal of the Presbyterian Church in Pollen street to a site on which it will face Pahau street, and for "the re-ro»f« ing of the building with galvanised iron. The erection of a new church will be a matter considered later on.

Mahuta, the young Maori " King *' of Waikato, did not attend the tangi over the deceased chief Hoterene Taipari at the Thames, on account, it is said, of the fact that Taipari was always a. chief friendly to the Government^ Mahuta has, however, invited a number of Taipari's people, the Ngaiimaru, to visit him at Te Paina, on the Waikato Rirer, and accordingly a considerable mimber of Thame3 natives have left on the Waikato trip

"Disgusted" writss: "Before the Pollards depart, it would be as well to draw their attention to the fact that although they have been well patronised, they have not done much to deserve it. I am referring more particularly to the stageing and mounting of the different operas performed. [With hardly an exception, they have all been mounted alike, and with the exception of ' Rip' the costumes were somewhat 'blended. Mr Pollard should remember the saying, ' What is worth doing at all is worth doing well.' I know what his answer would be— no room, small stage, and other professional excuses—but we have seen plays and operas sfaged properly on the Thames bei'cse, and if Mr Pollard charges top prices we expect, and demand, an equivalent."

The Maori contingent now training at Welliigton prior to the trip Home consists of men of line physique, but it is stated that not a few of them are. half-custes, several of them being footballers.

Though the tennes match is postponed, the musical evening arranged for to-night will take place in the Oddfellows' Hall.