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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 419, 20 February 1890, Page 2

Our Sydney correspondent wrote an Feb. 5 The great question of Australian Federation is to he discussed this week by representatives ot all the colonise. New South Wales will be represented fay Sir Henry Parkes and Mr McMillan, In spite qf the loud and zealous professions which are now made by these two gentlemen, I imagine they will have a difficult task to maintain their position among the men who for the last five years have been doing their level best to practically S remote tha object which Sir Henry Parkes as just discovered is so trsnsoendsntsily important, During all those five years hs held aloof in scarcely disguised hostility, And now that he returns, it is rath«r as a dictator who desires, to Impose his own terms, than with any advances of conciliation, If ifie others meet him in tha same spirit, the Conference wifi end ip smoko, for the repreientatives'of the other colonies cars as little as Sir Henry himself, to ba dictated to by a raw recruit. But if they patriotically put their self esteem aside anfi sacrifice all that they have dona in order to retain their now ally, the credit will be due to them and pot to him. The prodigal who only return's io domineer over the family party is not a very engaging character, It is the character, however, which Sir ■ Henry seems to affect, Qf course alj this may be altered when the Conference Actually meets, and I sincerely hope it may, for the benafita tp fie gqjned and the dangers to be avoided by union gre obyloqs to the rneabaaf capacity, end are worth very great and very real sacrifices. The prospect, however, is not encouraging. Sir Henry only represents half tbe colony. The other half he has not deigned to take into his confidence. Should agreement be found possible at the Conference his next task will he to units the equally divided parties in his own- colony—a practical but all important step which has difficulties of ita own, graver difficulties perhaps than thoss which await him lb Malboufas, I