The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-11-10
4USTR ALAN FEDERATION.
SIR HENRY PARKES' LECTURE
OK TdE ISSUE.
HoisfiDo the Flag n the TeHt
Election.

Of October eth:
He said that the support given to
federation by legislatures and by the
people had been Overwhelmingly con-
elusive as 10 its desirability. Hear,
hear.) The time had come when the
people must divide themselves into
two camps, the camp of union and the
camp of disuniOn and discomfort.
Hear, hear There was no middle
course. There was no portion OF this
question which could be considered as
no mans land. Hear, heaT.) The five
colonies on the continent existed un-
der conditions as foreign TO one anO-
ther az France to Belgium. You could
not move from one to another without
being treated as n foreigner, just as
you would be if you passed from
France to Germany. If this state of
things was so Irritating, so unsatis-
factory, so calculated to engender ILL
feeling now, what would it be in ten
years time? Would it not lead to re-
taliatiOn, to aggression? People on
the borders were crying out for pro-
lection, not because they believed in
protection, but because they wanted
retaliation against the residents of the
adjoining colony. (Hear, hear) He
could not imagine how this was to go
ducing the most lamentable results.
By becoming united the colonies
would Immediately abolish these bOr-
der custom houses, and there would be
entire and immediate free trade from
one end of Australia to the other.
(Cheers.) The Australian states would
then have to find other means of tax
alton, and the provincial fiscal huck-
sters, whether on the free trade or on
the protectionist side, would lose their
calling, lose their field of operations.
The States would accordingly have to
resort to direct taxation for their rev.
enues. (Cheers.) 1t was most incOn-
sistent for a man to advocate provin-
cial protection and federation. The
two things were Incompatible. at the
same time he could not understand
the free trader who was opposed to
federation. What could he mean by
it unless il was hostility to the adjOin-
ing colonies? Federation would mean
an extension, not limitation, of the
free trade principle. He could not see
why this federal council could not
come into existence within two years
from the present time. Though the
work had been suspended, it was still
half accomplished, and the delay
would be no encouragement to those
who were enthusiastic in the cause.
If il was exempt from false friends
and other stumbling blocks, there was
no cause which would be more favored
than this. 1t could be taken up in the
next election, which would be upon
the country Immediately. Cheers
And beyond all manner of question
there was no real obstacle to its speedy
and complete realization. One of the
things which must take place in the
immediate future was the division OF
Australia into ten colonies, or states,
instead of five. West Australia,
Queensland, and South Australia, for
example, could not continue as they
were. There must come time when
each Of them would be divided into two
colonies. Under federation the Aus
tralian government would have the
chef voice in that division, because
the imperial authorities would have
nothing but welcome for any act de-
sired by united Australia. Instead,
therefore, of the partition being under
taken from the seat OF government of
the empire, il would be carried out by
the government representing all Aus
tralia. Cheers The division was
inevitable, and it could never be prop
erly done by anybody but central
Australian government. Surprising
West Australia were divided, the fed
could give an impetus to the settle
ment of population, could point out
where the nucleus of settlement could
take place in Il more efficient manner,
q more efleC tive and authoritative
manner, than any other authority that
could be conceived. No one of the
governments could do it so well, not
even the government of West Austria
liza. There was also the question of
defense. He had no sympathy with
those are-brained men who thought
it waste of money to maintain SOL
diers. Depend upon it, it was much
sounder maxim that country not
worth fighting for was not worth
living in, and, depend upon it, Aus
tralia must be prepared to take her
share in the hostilities of the world.
Within very short period that might
be not a possibility but reality. Did
not they think that the five great
powers of Europe, with 100000 of
armed men, might think of some
other means of settling their differ
ences than by the sword? Within ten
years great efforts would probably be
made TO settle these differences
by some form of international
arbitration. In any great counsel |
of nations for such purpose federated |
Australia could be represented, but it |
could never be represented If II still |
remained a group of separate cOun- |
tries. Alien races could be excluded |
only by a federal government. 1t was /
only federal government also which |
could preserve and maintain our trade |
and political relations with the South |
Sea Islands. What they must do was
to try to rise to an altitude from which /
they could see the future which was
coming upon Australia. Hitherto /
each colony had had little regard to
the feelings of its neighbors. He had |
been guilty himself of not promoting /
that good feeling between the colonies,
but when he had felt aggrieved, had |
been forgetful enough TO entertain
sentiments of retaliation. They must
work for one government, a federal
a federal executive, and
federal supreme court which should
be court of appeal for all the colo
MES. (Hear, hear In the immediate |
appeal to the people he intended to
hoist the flag Of Australian Union.
Cheers He did not mean to give I'D
one iota of his hold upon free trade.
lCheers.) But he recognized, and
recognized fully, that the only field
in which he could fight for free trade
in the future was by seeking to bring
about a federal parliament. In