FEDERATION CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 35, 12 February 1890, Page 2

FEDERATION CONFERENCE.

NEW ZEALAND'S; ATTITUDE,

NOT TO HER INTERESTS TO JOIN.

HON. GAPTAIN RUSSELL'S SPEECH.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

[BY ELBCTBIO TBLEGHAMI—COPTRIGHT.)

Melbourne, February 11. Sm Samuel Griffiths said there mast be a complete Federal Government of Australia. Whether omofe thaUToderation would include New Zealand waa matter for future discussion. The question at present? was how far they oaulctge.fr tho supporfcai' fcheir respective l*ariiaroents-an.d people. He did not think-it indicated anY disrespect to the Federal Council or to these comprising it to propose- to give effect feo what they piopoeed if there was a chance of doing no. Theca W6EO many- things they could do — many obstacles, or what appeared to besuch — but the least• Federation couldbring about was better than no Federation at ail. Those who took part, in. creating fcbeFedcral Conn cil had no reason ta be ashamed of fche.ir labours* It was a step toward, something Ho admitted federation without fiscal union was unsatisfactory, but did not think it was any obstaole. The absurdity of^people fighting?each other through. Customs had become so apparent that tho struggle, must ?oon be-given- up. Hon.. T. Playford (of S&uth Australia) thought all would agree.with the resolution ijo.\y. hefore the Confecenc.v Everyone who bad taken a prominent part irr Australian political life admitted the time, was rapidly advancing when Australia, must becomo united. The only difficulty was in. determining when the time for union should come. The unfortunate part of Federal Government was that- ib had been taken up by the leading statesmen of Che. colonies inatead of by tho. people. If -hepeople iiacl taken the,question- in hand tho. conclusion would have been arrived at long ago, bu,fc the wish for federation- Loul not sprung from the. people so far as South Australia.was concerned. It? delegatesmet thaConferencewithout, tho people of (hat colony having bfio,n educated up to tho point when, they were, prepared to accept federation. Public men knew that the colonies would benefit, by Foderation, but many questions wanted settlement which could only be dealt with, by-a.Fadetal Qovernment. It was easily understood why American colonists joined together to assert theh' right?. It was the tame with Canada. The question of defence decided Canada ta confederate, bub here there was no. enemy at their doors likely to burn their cities op' levy contributrnugj With what argument had the Premier of New South Wales supplied the opponents of Federation when he pointed out the glorfnus progress made by those colonies under their present- form oi Government ? It would be said, why on earth do you want Federation if yoa can become the best governed and most prosperous people in the world without it? They bad not an enemy at their doors likely to burn their cities or levy contributions. They did not build up slowly i.nd catfefully public opinion in the colonies merely to appeal to- catastrophes that mightoccur thvoagh war or sin-prises. They could not build up fchiar opinion ac a bound. Mi- Deakiiv, of Victoria, remarked, that one of the difficulties of one hon. member present was that there were no difficulties, and he had pointed out that there waa here no great occasion to force circumstonee*,. and no such .events as-took place in Cana<sa and the United States- compelling these countries to "each- form a union, almost whether they would or. would nob. The bon. member referred to was perfectly corrects, bat wou-ld he." (the hen. member) venture: to- advance the position, and ?ay that he could see nothing in the future possibilities of this continaofc ' wbich might corn-pel a union to be ' effected ? Would be not admit that so far from beinqj unlikely it waa practically a matter of certainty that they would be so affected by circumstances tbafe fchey would bs forced into a union? The» how raueh better would it be to face the question in a time of quiet than, be driven in a time of turmoil ? The hoi*. gentleman said he spoke for the colonies and their people, net with intent,, hut with certain implications that there wa-s something which distinguished the Victorian from" the South Australian: ami the Is'ew South Welshman from the T<i^ma man} and Queen-slander* The truth was that they we?e one blood, had one sentiment an-d" one aspiration, and they rebel fad against tho line of Custom-houses along the borders. It must always be remembered that they had sprung from one efcock, and they were one people — that | whatever barriers were made between. them \rer& barriers of their own creating-, and what they were not stron-g enough to create they were strong enough to remove. Federal Government was in itself a soveßCTjrn State. There must be no antagonism between the Federal and local Governments-each mast be supreme in its own sphere. There was an infinity of iranes which a central Parliament would deal wibh, but which belonged to local legislatures, arid every power must be left them which they coul't best exercise in the interests of the community. Although all great reforms did not spring from, the people, success could come only from the people ;• bwfi he did not four tho result of tho appeal to the people in t.boso colonies on the work they were about to undertake. At to-day's sitting of the Conference a considerable amount of time was taken up by a discussion of the business in committee. The debate on Sir H. Parkes's motion was continued by Mr Clarke (of Tasmania), who said he felt sure that the people of Tasmania were quite willing to fall in with the Federation proposal?. The atticude of South Australia could only be assumed from the sentiments of the representatives, but he trusted the people would be educated up to the necessities of Federation. Speaking of Tasmania, Mr Clarke said he knew the people there would be very willing indeed to join with Queensland and Victoria. He felt that a uniform tariff must come somo time. He would like to know why there should be any delay in adopting it, and whether there was any necessity for it. They could not shut their eyes to the colonies which had a protective policy in force, and viewing them as a free trader, he did not think the delay would persuade protectionists to give up ihe tariff, ?o that, as far as South Australia was concerned, it would be much better for her to come now than when a protective tariff was many years old. This wns the first Conference devoted exclusively to the question of Federation, and he trusted that it would be the last, and that the delegates would go back to their several colonies to obtain tho necessary consent for a convention to bring about a United Australasia.

Sir J. G. Lee Sbeero, Western Australia, thought the debate had hitherto been somewhat too full of sentiment. They wanted to deal With it practically. He hoped the representatives of New South Wales would be able to remove the impression abroad thafe people of bhafc colony were not so favourable to Federation as they mi«ht be. He was sorry Sir Henry Parkes had brought forward an abstract motion instead of something definite, lie caw vary groat difficulties in the way, notably the iiscal question and the matter of finance. He did not see how it could be accomplished, and he said so, not that he wa* opposed to Federal Union, for no one would rejoice more to see Federation brought about. He quoted a number of figures to show the Customs duties in the diiierenfc colonies would not provide the Federal Government with sufficient fuucla to meet interest on

public debts of various- colonies, g,ndwould' I like-to know where the- Ifed'ero^ Qo-xem-ment would get the revenue from- if the Australian Dominion were flawed Q» thesame lines'as the Dominion of Canada. He should not entirely displace the Federal | Council, but should strive to. develop, it, until it would meetr tho requirement? of j federation. What possibility was thereof Western Australia, entering the federation, it" it had to give away its Customs duty? I Captain Rusaell(N«.wZeslan.d )'.said Federation was not only- in the air, as- some speakers said, hut he believed it would not be long before it was an accomplished fact, and in a few- years they would perhaps seja United Australia a sjreat power in these Southern seas. He did not see any great difficulty in the way. He, believed; however, that the-colony from which he camo could not join in thisfederation. Although they would be happy to work j,q, concord with the Auatrajian Continent, they could not expect: that for the aesb few years ab any rate, New Zealand would inerjio its growing- manhood into ohematare manhood of Australia. To- tell them Nww Zealand would do.so, would be to tell them what h.t\ at all events, did nob believe. It would be to New- Zealand's disadvantage to> join a Federal Government of this kincj, of which they would form such an. .insignificant part. New Zoaiand.bad interests and responsibilities of other than- an Australian character. There was a native administration,, for instance ; they could not; hand that over to tbe Federal Government, for such Government wouid-becomposedof gentlemen who knew little or nothing about tUe mode of dealing with the Maoris. There ware kindred subjects which needed very careful treatment?. Nqw Zealand would be hippy to jatri with Australia in any syst.&m of naval defonce, but hfr confessed' he did not see how she, was ro ba benefited by a, federal army.. He did nob doubt that the Australians, would he, quite willing to despatch an army to New. Zealand if the occasion required tfc, bub ife was nob likely to be of any service, for if-chey wore subjected ro a filibustering raid it would be all over before the army could reach them, A federal army would simply involve New Zealand in difficulties and in expense which she- could.ill" afford to bear. There were,, however, some things in which ehe niif,'-!+fc joi-a* ~b'ov- instance, them u:»r.e recrijivocily in trade and fcho e«t-abU?h.inent of um'forin siatrimonia! law. .For himself he would say he would not- parbicipate in anything involving tho colony ia tuflve protection, as he consideied it to their advaobajre aa a targe exporting country to hfivo their markets a« free as possible. New Zealand- woul<l meet Au-straiia in happiness and concord, b.uh he could nob say sha< could just ab pre3aivb join the Federal Union,, although she might in time to. come, when in a better position to do So. Ho had in-tended to- move an atßenrtment to 1 Sir Henry Parkes's motion, but If Sir i iienry i'dii-kcs won Id alter tl>e words, j "Australasian colonies" to "Australian colonies " he would content himself with moving a farther resolution to the elfoeb that stn-y colony so desiring rnisrhb subsequently be admitted to blie corif'edentbion Ujjon such terms and conditions as might be agreed v pon. Dr. Cock burn, South Australia, ativo-1 caced complete federation. Ho consideted it would be an injudicious step to divide Australia into two sect/ions- ab theoutsefc, in order that two or three colomea com- j prised in one sectioaini«ht federate, leaving others *o separate. Altiioinr'n South J Australia, might tone perhaps a little at the j outset by reiinquishiriff her Customs duties, j she would eventually tcain as much as any j colony by intercolonial free trade. Ho' would like to know, as the debate harJ a free trade tendency, whether it was thought in any quarter that the accomplishm»»b of federation wonM- bo accepted as a vindication of free trade. He did not himself think- it would be anything of the kind, but rather tbe vindication of protection-, wifch which he linked their jreneri-.l prosperity. The Federal Courier! had been doini; a good work, and he hoped that whatever might come of Khe- Conference or the subsequent Convention, Federation would arise from the work of the Council, built ho might say on its ruin?. The Conference adjourned till to-morrow. Lonuok, February 10. The " Economist " says British manufacturers have little fco pain, and KOniethmj; to loss, by the establishmeu.t of an AuiiraHau Dominion. > =