Fielding Star. SATURDAY, FEB, 14, 1891. Federation

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 100, 14 February 1891, Page 2

Fielding Star. SATURDAY, FEB, 14, 1891. Federation

The first Australian proposals for Australian Federation came from New South Wales, the colony which has recently seemed to be opposed to the ideas which it put forward in 1853, when an opinion was expressed 'in favor of a general Australian Legisla ture. In 1879 Sir Henry l'arkes advocated the immediate legislative union of Victoria, -New South Wales, and South Australia. In 1858, less than four years after she had received a separate responsible Government, Victoria asked for federal institutions and was refused. Victoria continues to be the strongest advocate for; Australian federation, and the agitation for the annexation of New Guinea, • and the common detestation of French transportation to New Caledonia brought about the theoretical federation, which it needs the assent of New S(-uth Wales to turn it from a paper in to an actual union for Australia, and that of New Zealand to make Australasian, New Zealaod is a potential but not an actual member of the Australasian Federal Council ; that is to say, she may come into it under the Act of 1885, but has not come into it as yet. New Zealand refused to join — we are quoting from Sir Charles Dilke's Problems of Greater Britain — because she ;was jealous of federal legislation affecting her internal affairs. Victoria o jected to any colony having the power to determine the operation of the Act within her boundaries, or in other words to retire after joining. New Zealand suggested a mode of reconciling this difference by the insertion of another clause providing for what was known at the time as " subse- • quent adoption.*' The Federal Council Act itself contains the principle of subsequent adoption., On some subjects the Council has full power to legislate, while on others, brought before it by two colonies, it has no such power ; but its "Acts lapply only to the colonies from which the reference came. In the case of such Acts, adoption in other colonies has to be by subsequent legislation in the usual form. New Zealand proposed that the latter plan should be adopted for all Bills, and that the laws passed by the Federal Council should only be operative in any colony if brought into force by the legislature of that colony. It was objected by Victoria, and some other colonies, both to the right of secession and the New Zealand .proposal, that they struck directly at the principle of federation, and that the latter proposal still weakeaed s scheme already weak. New Zea'and, on- the other Laid, argued that there was no more reason ' for reserving the power for initiating legislation in the case of corporations and joint stock companies, uniformity of weights -and measures, copyrights, notes and bills, which are in the category of the present Acf, than in the case of extradition, the influx of criminals,- civil and criminal process and judgments, and custody of offenders, which are in the other. What reason, asked New Zealand, was there for conceding the principle of subsequent adoption in the case of defence, and . denying it in the case of Australian Pacific policy ■? No colony, she argued, could suffer injury if all, instead of only some, laws should be declared to extend to colonies which adopted them. The New Zealand suggestion was not taken. Sir Charles Dilke ' thinks it is probable that New Zea-land-would come in if some small concessions were made to her views '■■ as long as she retains the power of , leaving the confederation. It would ' be wise, -even at some sacrifice of form, to bring New Zealand into the ,; federation, as she would strengthen |- Victoria" in resisting the possible se- ' cession from thie British Empire of | any one colony. The clause allowing • a colony to withdraw from federation 1 would, of course, have no beariug one way or the other upon the larger ' point of withdrawal f i om the Empire. New Zealanders seem to take the view that the Australian colonies ought to 1 prevent the isolated secession from the Empire of a single colony. It is argued that if Canada wished to leave the Empire it is obvious she could not be prevented from doing so, but that this view is not applicable to colonies generally and without limit It is suggested that means ought to be found to satisfy New Zealand that there is no intention of making her in anyway a dependency of Australia. The point at issue is in fact that point. The Australian colonies could outvote New Zealand in the Federal Council in any matter where their interests were different New Zealand desires to have a general control of her legislature, of the applicability or non applicability of Federal Acts to the colony of New Zealand. It is a natural feeling, and one which must be satisfied before New Zealand takes part in the Federal Council The latter as it present stands is little more than a periodical conference of some of the leading statesmen of the colonies. What the conference soon to be held in Hobart proposes to do has already been published in our telegraph columns. Witii reference to the above subject, concerning the departure of the New Zealand representatives, yesterday's N.Z. Times says : - "As the delegates are on the eve of startiug for the Australian Convention, they have applied to the Government for an expression of opinion by way of instruction. It was only courteous that they should do so. The Government replied, we understand, leaving thmn entirely unfettered. Inasmuch as the delegates are the delegates of the Legislature, not of the Government, the Government could have nude no other reply. Appointed by the two Houses they have to report each to his branch.' As the Logislnture is not favorable to the idea of joining

with Australia, the delegates in fact are mucb more likely to be carrying messages back from the Convention, than taking instructions to the Convention. In any case they would have required no instructions ', for they are capable of. representing New Zealand admirably.- They will give a very good account of themselves.