THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1899.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 23, 20 July 1899, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1899.

THERE are those who think that the Australian Federation Bill — of which the proper title is " The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act " — is a very dangerous and undemocratic measure, fraught with much harm, to New Zealand in particular. The point of these alarmists' warnings seems to be that by-and-bye, for various reasons, financial and otherwise. New Zealand may be forced to join the Federation and have to submit to be, to a certain extent, governed by the Federation Parliament, in which we should have but a small number of representatives. Exception is taken, too, to the powers to be invested in the Governor-General and to the manner in which the Federal Executive council — that is to say the Ministers — are to be appointed. We are of opinion that there are no very apparent grounds for these dismal forebodings, though we have some misgivings as to how certain of the provisions of the Act will work out as far as Australia itself is concerned. The new constitution Avill reHemble the American system in many respects. The supreme power is vested in Parliament* which consists of the Queen, (who will be represented by a Govern-or-General) a Senate, and a House oi Representatives. The Senate consists of fi Senators from each State joining the Federation. These senators are to be chosen by ihe State returning them, as if it were one constituency, which kid to" return six members. The

(jnalifkntkm of electors is the ' aamo as t!ic qualification of elect- 1 01 , of members of the House of Kepresenlaiives. Each elector shall only htivp one vote. Parliament may make laws prescribing qualifications of electors, but if it shall not do so the legislature oi prtch state may do so. The House of Representatives is, as is the custom, to consist of members eleeiesl by electoral constituencies. The number of members is io bo as nearly as possible double those in the Senate. The one-man-one-vote principle is adopted and as nearly as possible, each constituency is to have the same number of electors. All members of Parliament are io get £400 a year. There is a list of some 89 different subjects on which Parliament may legislate. Indeed there seems to be very little on which the Parliament may not make laws, though from the list it would appear that crimnial Jaw and some laws relating to property do not come within the scope of the Parliament's powers. Of course the various colonial legislatures are to remain in existence just as they are and to exercise ill powers that are not by the Federation Act taken from them md given exclusively to the Parliament. Perhaps the most radical clauses of the Act as far as Australia is concerned, are those providing that taxation and customs shall be uniform throughout ' Lhe Commonwealth. It needs no great number of words to bring home to anyone what changes these provisions must involve. Now in each colony the customs md taxation are quite differentVictoria is highly protected, while New South Wales claims to be a Free Ti ade colony. Within two year.3 of the Bill passing the same duties arc to be charged all over the Commonwealth. Taxation is also to be the same. It will occur to most people that it is, to say the least, doubtful how this will work over so large an area. Sydney or Queensland may want mony thingathat Victoria does not. Yet a heavy duty may be imposed to suit Victoria. Then there will be a war —of words at all events. Sydney sometimes wants our wheat, our butter, cheese and other farm produce. Victoria and the other colonies may not. Yet a heavy duty may be imposed on these things going to Sydney, because the other State* have no need of them. The Ministers of State, if in number, are to be called the Federal Executive Council, and are to be " chosen and summoned by the Governor General," and to hold office during his pleasure. We take it for granted that the Governor General will choose and appoint, Ministers in the same way as our Governor chooses and appoints our Ministers—that is to say in accordance with the wish

of the majority of the members of the House of Representatives, although there is nothing in the Act that expressly says so. But neither is there anything in any of the Imperial Acts expressly authorizing Party Government, yet there it is. The Departments of Customs and Excise, Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones, Naval and Military defence, lighthouses and quarantine are to be i transferred to the Parliament almost at once. For ton years after the establishment of the Commonwealth not more than one-quarter of the net revenue from the duties of customs and exei&e shall be applied annually by the Parliament towards its expenditure. ' The balance is to be returned to the several states, or applied to- i wards the payment of interest on I the debts of the several slates! taken over by the Commonwealth. A court is established, called the High Court of Australia, consisting of a Chief Justice and so many other justices, not less than two, as the Parliament pi-escribes. This court is to hear appeals from I other courts. These appeals for- [ merly were generally taken to Privy Council in England at the much expense and loss of time If this court can satisfactorily take the work, which has previously been done by the Privy Council, it will be the cause for much congratulation. On the whole, we believe that the Bill will make for the well-being of a United Australia.