The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-07

called on or not TO again array themselves
against the Turk In defence Of their own
liberty and that Of the Cretans, they have
celebrated in a brilliant manner the ami
versary Of their own deliverance from
tyranny, and added another to the many
services they have rendered as q people to
the cause of human progress and freedom.
The Latest Attempt ut Federation in
Australasia.
An Australasian Federal Convention, in
which Tasmania, as well as New South
Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and West
Australia, is represented. has been for some
time in session at Adelaide. The main lines
of a confederation have been formulated,
and committees have been appointed to
prepare the final draft Of n Federal Consti-
tuition for submission to the several colo.
MES. This is the nearest approach yet
made to a union of Australasia, but the end
in view seems still distant, for neither
Queensland nor New Zealand has taken
part in the convention, and it il by no
means certain that Victoria and West Aus
tralia will ratify the scheme proposed.
Up to comparatively recent period the
tendency in Australia was toward sub
division rather than consolidation. As Sir
julius VoGEL pointed out in the last mum.
her of the Nineteenth Century, there are
thousands of people living who can recollcct
the wild rejoicings in Victoria when that
colony was carved out of New South Wales;
and there was an equally impressive mani
festation of delight when Queensland was
set off from the last-named colony. There
is at this moment a strenuous agitation for
the separation Of south Queensland, which
is a sheep-raising country, from north
Queensland, which, lying rs it does nearer
the equator, is we'll suited to the cult.
walton Of the sugar cane and other sub
tropical products.
The first impulse toward the union Of Aus
t~ralasia came from the mother country, and
for some time made but little Roadway.
Some ten years ago an act of the British
Parliament was passed empowering the
several Australasian colonies to be repre-
scented In a federal council endowed with
authority to make laws applicable to all
the colonies represented. This act, how
ever, was simply permissive. and both New
South Wales and New Zealand declined to
take advantage Of it. We should note, in
deed, hat the late Admiral TRYoN sue
ceeded in bringing the AUstralasian col
onies to favor a united contribution to the
cost Of their common defence, and, al
though there were sharp differences of
opinion as to how the aim should be full.
filed, a scheme was eventually hit upon at
n conference which, on being referred to
the colonies. was approved. This arrange
ment, however. was in no sense a confed-
Grafton, but merely n coalition of indie
pendent States for a single purpose.
1t was about four years ago that Sir HEN
RY PAREEs, the veteran statesman of New
South Wales. revived the question of fed.
Grafton, and advocated with such energy n
union similar to that exemplifed in the
Dominion of Canada that his views were
accepted by many of the colonies, and the
present Federal Convention is the result.
Precisely What kind of a federal organic
law will be proposed we cannot tell until
the reports Of the various committees nave
been read and adopted. and the final draft
of the instrument has been published. We
know from the experience OF our Phila-
delphia Convention that the plan ulti.
mately sanctioned may differ in many vital
particulars from the resolutions passed at
any earlier stage of the session. Still it is
interesting TO note what the resolutions
are. They begin, We observe, with a pre-
caution in favor Of State rights by provid-
ing that the powers, privileges, and terri
tory of the several colonies shall remain in
tact. This general affirmation, however,
is presently qualified by n declaration that
the exclusive power of imposing and collect.
ing customs and excise duties, together
with the exclusive control OF military and
naval affairs, shall be vested in the Federal
Parliament, which IL to consist Of n Sen.
ate and House OF Representatives. In
giving the central authority exclusive
power over excise duties the rcsolu.
tions encroach much further upon the
rights Of the component States than does
our own Constitution. The Australasian
executive is to consist of Il Governor
General appointed by the Queen, but as to
whether he Is to govern through Ministers
responsible TO the House of Representa-
tives, as in the ease of the Dominion of
Canada, we have not yet learned. There is
to be, also, a Federal Supreme Court, which
differs from our own, nevertheless, in that,
besides having cognizance of federal and
interstate business and questions involving
the construction Of the Constitution, 1t Is
to serve as a high court of appeal from the
colonial courts in all matters. We remark,
finally, that trade intercourse between the
several colonies is to he absolutely free.
The last-named provision seems to be an
indispensable condition of any federation
worthy Of the name, yet 1t is certain to
meet with violent opposition from Victoria,
whose revenue to a considerable extent de-
ponds on duties levied on imports from her
sister colonies.