The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-05-06

fine General Government, which could
harrow at lower rate OF interest.
On ref cotton, however, it was seen
that these debts are inseparabe from
the assets which they have helped to
create. TIE states cannot unload
their debts uoon the Federal Gov
crnment without handing over their
railways and lands, and also submit
TING to Federal control over their
future borrowing. l think it will be
a mistake for them to mix up pro-
vincial and national finances, as is
done in Canada.
Great admiration was expressed in
the Convention for the American
Senate, AS strong and dignited upper
house, representing states but not
classes. The American method Of
electing Senators was preferred to
that of Canada, where they are APP
pointed for life by the Crown on the
nomination of the Canadian Ministry
for the being time.
The Australian Senate will proba-
bly, have no executive functions, and
there is little doubt that the Reform
ed System of Civil Service, now pre-
vailing in Victoria, will be incOrpo-
rated into the new Government from
the start.
Contrary to expectation, the chief
bone of contention in the Convention
was the right of the Senate to pro-
pose amendments to money bills. 1t
was agreed by all that the lower
house should have the "sole power
of originating all bills appropriating
revenue or imposing taxation" But
Sir Henry Parkes' resolution gave it
also the sole power of amending such
bills. The cause of the whole diff
Guilty lies in the great inequality of
the Colonies, New South Wales and
Victoria, taken together, having
more than twice the population of
the other four colonies, the two for
mer having more than 1900, 900 and
the four latter about 100000 inhabi-
tants.
Hence in the House of Represen-
tatives, the mehlbers from the two
large states, if they combined to-
gether, could outvote those from the
smaller states, two to one; while in
the Senate, the reverse would be the
case.
1t is not strange then that the dele
gates from the small colonies argued
in favor of charging the powers of the
Senate, while most of the delegates
from the "hig Colonies warmly OPP
posed it, TO an American the small
colony-men seem to have had the best
of the argument. They held that tie
power of amending bills was far
less dangerous than that of rejecting
them, the latter of which was not
questioned that the members would
generally divide on party lines and
not on state lines; and that in fu-
ture, financial questions will he less
important than those relating to So
cialism, Labor, etc.
The other side insisted that as it
was impossible to make the ministry
responsible to both houses, it would
be inconsistent with the English sys-
TEN of parliamentary government to
give the upper house the right to
amend money bills. The matter was
referred to committee, and from
the latest kilograms seems to have
been decided against the small colo
MES.
The discussion was enlivened by a
bit of pleasantly, when Mr.. Rut-
ledge compared the Government to a
model family, in which the husband
is the responsible head, (the lower
house), but finds it to his advantage
to consult his wife, (the Senate), on
money matters. "She often origin
ates money bills, rejoined Mr.. Mum
roe, which caused general laugh.
In regard to the Federal judiciary
the drift of opinion in the Conven.
ton appeared to be in favor of esta-
blisning a complete system of Fed
eral Courts distinct from state courts,
instead of merging the latter in the
former. as in Canada. The question
whether any appeal should he allow
ed from the Federal Supreme Court
TO the Privy Council or not, was one
ON which the Convention was divided.
Mr.. Clark Acknowledgement of Tas-
mania, held that the Supreme Court
should finally settle all purely Aus
tralian matters as well as questions
of the common law, but that in cases
involving Imperial interests or the
Interpretation of Imperial Acts, the
right of appeal to the Priyy Council
would continue to exist.
Another important point is the
method of amending the Constitu-
ton. The Canadian Constitution is
simply an Act of the British Parlia-
ment, and can be amended only by
other Acts of that Parliament. Here
again the Australians prefer the
American method, by which the Con-
stltution provides for its own amend
ment in way that affords ample
security against hasty changes.
The name chosen for the new
government, viz. The Common
wealth of Australia" has a Crom-
welIian ring to it, and is highly applo-
pirate TO SO liberal constitution, and
to the watchword, "AdVance Austria
liza %
The final result of the deliberations