The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-05
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW NATION.


The announcement that the federation
scheme of the AustraIasian colonies is prac-
tically consummated is one of interest to
Englsh-speaking peoples throughout the
world. 1t concerns the American people as
wen as the British, since it will contribute
materially to the development and growth
of great English-speaking nation west of
Us, whose trade and friendship will become
more and more desirable as time passes.
The Australasian colonies even as they now
exist are a growing factor in the worlds
civilization: as a federation of colonies,
closely resembling in general features the
government of the United States. it will
surely become an important power. AS the
success of the federation scheme will mark
the birth of a new nation it may be worth
While to state what it means.
The Australasian colonies which will form
the federation are six in number, namely,
New South Wales. Victoria, Queensland,
South Australia, West Australia and Tas-
mania. They have an aggregate area of
2,971, OO3 square miles, almost equal to that
of the United States, exclusive of Alaska.
Parts of it, however, are very sparsely set
tied. Two-thirds of the whole-a country
nearly twice as big as Germany, France,
Austria, Italy and Spain put together-con-
tains less than 100000 people, the total popu-
lation being about 100000. Among the large
cities are Sydney. capital of New South
Wales, with a population of 425,O00; Mel
bourne, the capital of Victoria, with popu-
lation of 10000, and others OF less size.
These cities are fully equal to American
cities of the same size in all essential re-
spects. The people of the colonies are in
telligent and progressive to a marked de-
gree, and they have developed equal capac-
ity for political organization and CONNER
cial enterprise. They have universal suf-
frage, free schools, compulsory education
laws, government railroad and telegraph
lines and other features of advanced gov
eminent. The resources of the colonies are
enormous and practically untouched, They
are capable of sustaining a population fifty
times as great that they now have The
bringing together of six such colonies under
one central government is one of the i'm
portant events of recent times.
The federation scheme dates from 1891 and
colonial legislatures looking to a union. 1t
took six years to secure favorable action
from the different assemblies and to bring
about concurrence on all points. From the
beginning of the movement New South
Wales, as the most populOus and wealthy of
the colonies, was accorded leadership in it.
In August, 1894, the premier of New South
al a. a n e.
miers of Victoria, South Australia, Queens
land, West Australia and Tasmania, in
which, after calling attention to the impor
tance of the project, he said: II have to ask
whether your government is disposed to join
us in placing the question of federation once
more in that position of practical and urgent
Importance to which, in the opinion of this
government, it is pre-emnently entitled"
To this circular all the premiers returned
favorable replies. 1t was conceded by the
statesmen and intelligent citizens of all the
| colonies that federation was the natural
evolution of Australian destiny. In 1895 the
movement had progressed so far that con-
vention consisting of ten delegates from
each colony was called to frame a constitu-
ton The enabling act which called the
convention provided that when the con-
stitution has been framed the convention
shall adjourn for not more than two months
to permit of it's being criticised, and after
final amendment and adoption by the con-
vention the constitution shall be referred
to the direct vote Of the people for accept
ance or rejection" This is a fine illustra-
ton of the Anglo-Saxon mode Of establish
| ing constitutional government. The con-
vention to draft constitution met at Ade-
laide South Australia March %, 1897. After
sitting a month and agreeing on a form Of
constitution the convention adjourned to
meet again in Sydney, on Sept. 2, with the
understanding that in the interim the con-
stitution was to be submitted to the local
| parlaments for criticism 1t was amended
in several respects by the colonial parlia-
ments, and when the convention met in
! Sydney it adjourned to meet again in Mel
bourne in January, 1898, to give the people
and press time for further consideration.
| The convention met again at the appointed
| time, and after two months discussion
adopted, on March 16 1898, a revised con-
| stitution with the amendments proposed by
| the local parliaments. 1t was ordered that
the constitution thus amended should be
! submitted to vote of the people, and when
| accepted by three of the colonies it should
go into effect as between those three. The
vote was taken in New South Wales, Vic
toria and Tasmania on last June 3; in South
Australia on June 4. Queensland did not
vote. In New South Wales the vote was
| 70 800 for the constitution and 65619 against;
in Victoria. 100 $50 for and %, O99 against; in
Tasmania, 1886 for and $500 against in
South Australia, 1858 for and 1921
against. Since then the premiers of the diff
ferent colonies have been in conference ad-
justing and compromising certain matters
with the result, as now stated, of final
agreement between five colonies. Queens
land will undoubtedly come in later The
outline of the constitution. as given in the
Journal of Friday. shows that it is
judicious combination of the British and
American constitutions Being a constitu-
ton for British colonies and peoples, the
British constitution could not be ignored,
but that OF the United States is followed in
some important respects The powers of