The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-24

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 joined
the confederation. The latter, though it at
one time sent delegates to the Federal
Council OF Australia, has taken no part in
the recent negotiations. It lies a long way
of in the Pacific, is what we call a crown
colony, not enjoying responsible govern
ment, and has a comparatively small Euro
| pean 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 together, though its population
is less than six hundred thousand -
has refused TO take part in the con-
ventions which prepared the federal Con-
%stitution, deeming herself to have too few
interests in common with Australia, from
which she is separated by twelve hundred
miles of stormy sea. At the last moment
she applied 10 have a clause inserted per-
hitting her to come in as an original state
at any time within seven years. But the
Australians refused, saying that, as she
had not chosen 10 enter when she might
have done so along with the other colonies,
she must be content to apply 10 the COM
monwealth, when constituted, for admis-
sion upon whatever terms she and the COM
monwealth can arrange. She will therefore
probably stand aloof to see how the new
confederation thrives before she applies;
nor indeed has she any immediate motive
for applying, except the fear that her
trade with Australian ports might suffer
from any protective tariff which the COM
monwealth Parliament may enact.
CAUSES OF DELAY.
Americans will naturally ask how 1t hap
pened that the process OF federating 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 cheaper and swifter
than such means were in 1888. The most
obvious answer is that there has been Tar
less external pressure on Australia urg-
ing her several communities TO union than
there was in the case OF America The
existence of a great protecting power lii
Britain, commanding an immense fleet,
has relieved the Australians Of all fear
from any naval enemy. They have not
therefore been drawn together by any
strong sense of the need of combining for
defense. Moreover, their internal affairs
nave not suffered as much from admins
trative or legislative errors as some OF the
States had suffered just before 17S7, and
49,, rrotoh H. aoch nf than less Qf-
fected by its neighbours 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
persuade the masses to surrender some
part of their autonomy to a common fed
eraI government. The small colonies, Tas-
mania and South Australia Che latter
small in population. though she has a
vast area), were more eager for confedera-
ton thar New South Wales, which Is the
most populous, and the difficulties which
chiefly retarded the scheme were those
which arose out of fiscal policy, most colo
MES being protectionist, New South Wales
free trading. Though many good ground
for federation have been advanced, the
cause for it was not so strong as in the
United States in 1851, nor even as IN Can
ada in 1867. One may almost say that for
Australia it has been not a necessity, but
rather a luxury. And il is probable that
considerations of a purely practical ma
ture would not have brought 1t about had
they not been reinforced by the national
sentiment which desired TO see a great
Australian state grow up. able to domi-
nate that part of the globe which lies to
the southeast OF Asia.
Such a state has now been called into
being. It's inhabitants number to-day only
about four millions, but there is every
prospect that the steady increase both in
population and in wealth which has gone
on for many years will be maintained,
while the English race shows no sign OF
declining in vigor under a climate far
hotter and drier than is that of its original
home. Such a state might before long
stand alone in the world were 1t minded so
to do. But the wish TO maintain political
connection with the mother country seems
to nave grown stronger in recent years;
and Australians declare that they look
upon their union into a federation as fend-
ing to the maintenance OF the tie. Their
political life will, they think. be expanded
III SUCH Wise dS " SNC 5iCohSh III
terest in wo%rld-politics, and therefore a
greater disposition to work along with
England for the common interests of the
race: and friction is less likely to arise
when one large state n government has
been substituted for six small ones. Be
this as it may, the event appears TO be re-
garded as well in Australia as in Britain,
as one which both peoples may welcome as
likely to promote their future cooperation
London, England, June II.