The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1891. THE FEDERAL CONVENTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume X, Issue 2325, 9 March 1891, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1891. THE FEDERAL CONVENTION.

The Convention of delegates from all the Colonies of Australasia which is now sitting at Sydney is a great historical fact, and marks a distinct advance m the progress of that movement which for the past few years has been proceeding with gathering force, and which must eventuate m the consolidation of most, if not all, of those colonies into one united whole as the Dominion or United States of Australia. Starting into life as .it will under the English flag, full of loyalty to the throne and the traditions of the Empire, it rests with the Imperial authorities whether the connection is to be maintained—perhaps for ages— or whether there should be friction resultant from injudicious treatment sufficient to induce m the near or more remote future, an irresistible demand for absolute independent autonomy under the flag of Australia. In the work of laying the foundations of what is destined to be one of the Great ■■Powers of succeeding ages the Conference now assembled has before it difficulties many and great, but the speeches thus far delivered by the representatives of the several Colonies have been couched m terms which show that these difficulties are 'properly appreciated, and are being approached m a spirit of mutual concession which is the best guarantee of their being successfully overcome. The position of New Zealand m relation to the great question before the Conference differs widely from that of the other Colonies represented, inasmuch as her people have certainly no present intention of agreeing to come under any Federal constitution which may be established, her delegates being present merely as advisers and coadjutors, yet with the understanding that their influence is to be bent m the direction of securing, if possible, that the constitution be so framed as to admit of New Zealand coming under it m the future if she shall so think fit. The persontiel of our representation at the great Council is all that could be desired. Sir George Grey, with his unrivalled experience as a Governor and Administrator and builder-up of Constitutions is, saving Sir Henry Parkes, the most prominent figure m this remarkable gathering of Colonial Statesmen, and Sir Harry Atkinson and Captain Russell are worthy associates. Owing to the delay of the steamer by which he had arranged to proceed, Sir George was not present at the opening of the Conference and has not yet declared his views, for which not only we m New Zealand, but doubtless also a very much wider circle are looking with great interest. \Ve are sorry to learn that he is still very weak, having evtofcjwUy not fully recovered from his recent illness. Captain Pnussell has however spoken, and spoken well on New Zealand's behalf. "Fie has evidently a just appreciation of the, great advantages which must result from the federation of Australia, and that it should bo such a federation " as will attract by its centripetal force all remote parts m time to come." With the prescience of a true statesman he foresees that "m time to come the islands of the South Seas will become powers themselves," and that if Australia is the centre of power they will of necessity be drawn to her, instead of these loose " atoms flying off to the United States of America " —already a competitor for the trade of, and for influence m the South Seas—which he rightly says " will probably occur if Australian statesmen do not prevent it." He is right too, we think, as to the means of prevention, and that is by making the Federal Convention sufficiently elastic to enable all these atoms to come m and to be consolidated without the sacrifice of their interests and without interfering with their working out their own individual destinies. Among the lions m the path of the builders-tip of the Australian Dominion are the questions of the nature of the Executive Government, and the constitution and powers of the Federal Legislature, and those of Federal Defence and the Federal Tariff. The last perhaps is the most knotty point of all, but its solution has already, we think, been correctly indicated by Sir T. M'llr'aith as " freetrade among the colonies and protection against the world." New Zealand would derive great advantage if she can secure that she shall be entitled to free exchange with the new Dominion, and might also with like benefit agree to come under uniform laws relating to marriages, copyright, recovery of debts, and certain other matter.? m which such uniformity could be secured without abandoning m any way the independent control of her own revenues and expenditure—m a word witnout transferring the management of her own affairs to a Dominion Parliament.