The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-13

contain the obnoxious section restricting
the right of appeal.
DELEGATES ALMOST UNANIMOUS.
The delegates had fought stoutly for
their measure in its original share |
though one of them latterly separated |
himself from his colleagues and fell in |
with the Government view and oninion |
in England was much divided most peo- |
pie wishing that the right of appeal had
not been circumscribed by the Austria
lians. but many thinking that even if the
circumscription was an error it was bet
ter 10 accept 1t than to do so ungracious
an act as refuse Australia what she ask
ed for. A Parliamentary conflict was ex-
pected, for the liberal opposition had an
nounced its intention to argue that the
Australian people, having approved the
plan by their popular vote, should have
IL passed in that form But suddenly at
the last moment the Government recon-
sidered their position, and under the form
or what was called q compromise, grant
ed. though in different and somewhat
more carefully guarded words, what the
delegates had asked for. Thus the scheme
may now be deemed to have got into
smooth water. In a few weeks ii will
have become law In few months the
first Parliament of the Federal Common
wealth will be elected, and the new ma
chine of government will have begun TO
work.
Neither New Zealand nor Fiji has join
ed the Confederation. The latter, though
IL at one time sent delegates to the Fed
eral Council of Australia, has taken no
part in the recent negotiations. 1t lies
a long way off in the Pacific, is what we
call a Crown Colony, not enjoying respon-
| sible government and has a compara-
lively small European population. New
Zealand which will one day be at least
| the equal of the largest of the Australian
| colonies--it is larger than New York,
| New Jersey and Pennsylvania put to-
gether, though its population is less than
| 500, ,000-bas refused to take part in the
conventions which prepared the Federal
Convention, deeming herself to have too
( few interests in common with Australia.
| from which she is separated by LOO miles
| of stormy sea.
TURNED AGAINST FIJIANS.
At the last moment she applied to have
a clause inserted permitting her to come
! in an original State at any time within
seven years. But the Australians refus-
ed. saying that as she had not chosen to
enter when she might have done so along
with the other colonies, she must be con-
| tent to apply TO the Commonwealth, when
/ constituted, for admission upon whatever
terms she and the Commonwealth might
arrange. She will, therefore, probably
stand aloof TO see how the new confeder-
alton thrives before she applies, nor. in
deed, has she any immediate motive for
applying, except the fear that her trade
\ with Australian ports might suffer from
any protective tariff which the Common
wealth Parliament may enact.
/ Americans Will naturally ask how it
! happened that the process of fedora ting
| took so much longer in Australia now.
where the people are more homogeneous
| In race than were the inhabitants of the
thirteen original American colonies, and
where the means of communication by
| land and sea are so incomparably cheap
er and swifter than such means were in
! 1888. The most obvious answer is that
there has b-en far less external pressure
on Austrs Iia urging her several coimmu-
mites to union than there was in the
| case of America. The existence of a
great protecting power like Britain, COM
manding an immense fleet, has relieved
the Australians of all fear from any ma
| val enemy. They have not, therefore,
been drawn together by any strong sense
of the need of combining for defense.
Moreover, their internal affairs have not
suffered much from administrative or
legislative errors as some of the States
suffered just before 17S7 and they prob
ably were each of them less affected by
its neighbor's faults. Among them, as
among the Americans of the last century,
the spirit of local independence was
: strong, and it was at first difficult to per-
suade the masses to surrender some part
of their autonomy to a common Federal
Government The small colonies, Tasma-
; MIA and South Australia Cthe latter small
] in population, though she has a vast
area), were more eager for confederation
; than New South Wales, which Is the mos
t populous. and the difficulties which chief
iy retarded the scheme were those which
arose out of fiscal policy most colonie:
e being protectionists, New South Vale.
free trading.
; LUXURY FOR AUSTRALIA.
" Though many good grounds for fedora
4 ton have been advanced, the case for
Q was not strong as in the United State
> in 1887. nor even as in Canada in 1861
: One may almost say that for Austral
: 1t has been not a necessity, but rathe
i a luxury. And Ii is probable that con
i siderations of a purely practical natur
IS would not have brought it about had the
a not been reinforced by the national sent
/ ment, which desired to see a great Aus
= tra1ian State grow up, able to dominat
s that part of the globe which lies to tn
n southeast of Asia.
N Such State has now been called int
= being. Its inhabitants number today or
ID Iy about four millions, but there is ever
" prospect that the steady increase, bot
ar in population and in wealth, which ha
le gone on for many years will be MAINTAIN
70 ed, while the English race shows no sig
J. OF declining in vigor under climate ia
hotter and drier than Is that of its orig
nal homes. Such a State might befol
long stand alone in the world, were
L minded so to do. But the wish to mail
le tain political connection with the moth'
AT country seems TO have grown stronger
e. recent years, and Australians declai
ri that they look upon their union into
he federation as tending to the maintenan'
lg of the tie. Their political life will, the
" think, be expanded I'm such wise as
OF give them a greater interest in world pc
id itics, and therefore greater dispositic
r to work along with England for the con
ir mon interests of the race; and friction
n less likely to arise when one large sta
and government has been substituted Il
n six small ones. Be this it may, II
IN event appears to be regarded as well
a Australia as in Britain, as one which bo
IN peoples may welcome as nkely to pr
er mote their future cooperation.
t. JAMES BRYCE.
mt