Australian Federal Council. First Meeting at Hobart. (REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.) Hobart, January 25.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 139, 30 January 1886, Page 5

Australian Federal Council. First Meeting at Hobart. (REUTERS TELEGRAMS.) Hobart, January 25.

The sittings of the Federal Council opened to-day in the Legislative Council Chamber. Mr B. C. Nowell, clerk to the Tasmanian Executive Council, was appointed clerk, and read the Governor's proclamation summoning the Federal Council, after which the various members pufc in their commissions or appointments, and the necessary oaths of office wera ad ministered. Messrs Service and Berry were present, representing Victoria ; Messra Griffiths and Dickson, Queensland ; Messrs Douglas and Dodds, Tasmania ; and Messrs Leester and Macgregor, Western Australia. The Hon. Mr Griffiths, Premier of Queensland, proposed that Mr Service be elected President, and this being duly accepted by the Council, Mr Service was inducted into the chair. During the course of an eloquent inaugural speech, Mr Service alluded to the events leading up to the constitution of the Federal Council. He stated that history showed many examples where other nations had experienced some of the difficulties that are now being encountered by the Australian colonies, and instanced in particular" the earlyrecordsoftheNatherlands.Switzerland, the United States, and Canada, as fumieb- , ing cases in point. Mr Service said he had hoped originally that the whole of the Australasian colonies would join in sending representatives to the Council, but, he added, the absence of some of the colonies would not discourage those members who were present. The event of the year 1883, when Australia was threatened with a flood of convicts, laid the basis of federation, which resulted in the federal convention adopting the scheme for the present Council, in which they could dißCUss conjointly many questions that were not ripe for final legislation, but he was confident the deliberations of the Council would carry weight in the Legislatures of the various colonies represented, Mr Service was warmly applauded on the conclusion of his speech. The officers of the Council were then fotmally appointed, and the Hon. Adys Douglas, Premier of Tasmania, announced that Mr Service, President of the Council, would be officially presented to his Excellency Sir George Strahan, the Governor, to-morrow morn--ing, after which the proceedings of the Council were adjourned until tomorrow. The Governor has arranged to attend at noon, when he will deliver an address. The whole of to-day's proceedings occupied about an' hour. -The meeting of the Council did. not attract l gre*tjtt&Uo atteution, and there was only aJsnujMifctaucU auce in the gallery devoted to oapiktt*, . '