Established 1815 Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1883. AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 302, 4 July 1883, Page 2

Established 1815 Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1883. AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION

■' Words lire thin;;*, nnd a d>v>p of inJc fal'ing likf dew upr.n a thong!)*, pro'lu.ro Uii.twhi^hmakeE thous»r<!s, pprh-ip-i w.iilii.iif think "

Our fellow-colonists m Victoria are keeping the question of federas tion steadily m view. On the 14th June a banquet was held at Albury to complete the celebration of through communication by rail between New South Wales and Vie« toria. On the occasion the Hon. James Service, Premier of Victoria, made the following remarks, after alluding to the railway itself : — " They wanted federation, and they wanted it at once. He wanted to see it before he died, and there, was no reason why he should not. And at a very early opportunity the Grovernment of Victoria was deters mined to test the question and to ask what were the obstacles to such a federation. If New South Wales and Victoria were one all other difficulties would crumble into dust, and it was better ■to try and fail than not to try at all. There had been a lot" of small federations, but why not have one grand comprehensive scheme embracing the federation of all the Australias. Theie were now many intercolonial differences, but these would dissolve upon a federation, of . the whole of the colonies," Mr Graham Berry also touched on the subject, and said he was sure that if Victoria was met m a fciir sDirit by New South Wales it would not be long before such federation was an accomplished fact. The only obstacles to federation were the public press and the public men of the colony, who did not at present thoroughly under* stand and sympathise with each dthev. He referred to- the* United States and Canada, and strongly exhorted big hearers to do their utmost m the cause that he :was now advocating."