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Australian Federation AUSTRALIAN NATIVES' ASSOCIATION. VICTORIAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION: LECTURE ON The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia Bill, AS ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL AUSTRALASIAN CONVENTION AT SYDNEY, 9th April, 1891. Jr. H- TvL«,.J (1*PJ F. W. Niven & Co., Printers, &c., Melbourne and Ballarat. AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. Although now brought within the range of practical politics for the first time, the Federation of Australia is no new subject. Indeed one is surprised on going through the records of Australian politics to find how old it is. It appears almost simultaneously ^vith the foundation in Australia of other colonies than New South Wales. For just as clearly as the early colonists saw that the division of our island continent into separate self-governing colonies was absolutely necessary for the proper development of the material resources of its vast territory, so clearly did they see that the re-union of these separate colonies under a federation, wherebjr they would be united under one national Government without their separate administrations, legislatures, and local patriotisms being extinguished, would be as necessary for the full development of the national life of their people. The first move in the matter was in 1849, when a committee of the British Privy Council, appointed at the instance of Earl Grey, reported on the subject. At that time there were only jthree colonies on the mainland, viz., New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia. The report of the committee was adopted by Earl Grey, and a bill to give effect thereto was introduced into the British Parliament in the following year, but meeting with opposition was abandoned. The subject was subsequently con­ sidered by the legislatures of New South Wales and Victoria in 1853, and by the legislatures of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, between 1857 and I860. Although, however, there was a general unanimity of opinion as to the expediency of federation there was so little desire for action that nothing came of their labors, no definite step being taken to give practical effect to the federal idea till the establish­ ment of the Federal Council in 1883. In the meantime the subject Extract from Annual Report of the Victorian Board of Directors of the Australian Natives’ Association, adopted by the Annual Conference, March 14, 1893 :— “The Board desires to express its great satisfaction at the action of •citizens on the several borders of the Australian Colonies in forming feder­ ation leagues. This movement appears to have been taken up in a hearty manner, and it is a pleasure to be able to record the fact that the native- born are playing a leading part in bringing these efforts to a successful issue. The formation, of leagues on the imaginary border-lines is one of the most gratifying events which have occurred in connection with this momentous •question during the past year. The Board now recommends that it should be an instruction from the Conference to branches that in each of them the question of Federation should be dealt with in a thorough manner. It is recommended that each branch should set aside two nights in the coming year for the discussion of a federal constitution, as well as the constitutions governing various other confederations ; and that as a means of assisting branches to carry this out, the Board of Directors for the ensuing year should take upon itself the responsibility of arranging for gentlemen to visit branches and lecture or otherwise deal with the subject. The information of this Board is that there are many of our leading orators and public men anxious to assist the Association in this connection in every possible way.” With a view of assisting the members of the Association in the discussion above referred to, the Board has decided to circulate •a lecture on the Bill to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia, adopted by the National Australasian Convention at Sydney, on '9th April, 1891, which was delivered by Mr. G. H. Wise, then President of the Association, at Sale, on July 2nd, 1891, and subsequently at Warragul, Castlemaine, Kyneton, and Cobram. 4 was allowed to fall into the background of Australian politics, the aims and efforts of Australian statesmen being directed to the development of the resources, and the political and social advancement of their individual colonies. This naturally resulted in a feeling of rivalry springing up between the people of the separate colonies, causing a provincial spirit to be cultivated, and tending more and more to the development of a jealous and bitter rivalry. Had this feeling and spirit been allowed to take firm possession of the minds of the rising generation, it would, without doubt, have been attended with results disastrous to the welfare of Australia. In order to check this the A.N.A. was founded in Victoria in 1871, just when the first generation, so to speak of the native-born Victorians were attaining their majority. The avowed object of the Association was to wipe out all provin­ cial and hostile feeling between the native-born of the various colonies, to make them realise the fact that they all possessed the same native land, Australia, that their interests (no matter in what part of Australia they were born) were identical, and that their destiny was to found not a series of petty wrangling foreign states, but one great united Australian nation, which would com­ mand the Southern Seas—an aspiration worthy to inspire their lives—a field upon which they could exercise a legitimate and noble ambition. Having this object in view it was a necessary consequence that the Association’s watchword should be “ Feder­ ation,” and that that should be its favorite theme. For the last 20 years, accordingly, this Association (and it is the only organisa­ tion that I know of whose purpose was to bring about Australian Federation), has instilled into the minds of its members and their fellow Australians, the sentiment of their common Australian nationality, and the necessity of federation. At our branch meetings, at our banquets, at our entertainments, and at public meetings throughout the length and breadth of Victoria has the subject of Australian Federation been discussed by our Associa­ tion, while in South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, and New South Wales, kindred or semi-kindred associations of our fellow Australians have carried on the federal cause in those colonies. We have not only urged the subject upon the members of our Association, but owing to our meetings being always open to the public, and on the whole fairly well reported by the press, we claim to have familiarised the general public with it, and we think it is no vain boast to say that it is principally owing to the work of the A.N. A. that the question of Australian Federation has now been brought into the domain of practical politics throughout Aus­ tralia. Our work in the cause is not, however, done; indeed, the Most important part of it is now before us, that of achieving the practical result of our labor. 5 The Federal Convention. Recently, as you are all aware, the leading statesmen of the several Australian legislatures met together in Sydney and framed such a Federal Constitution as they considered their individual colonies could safely accept and federate under. That constitution is shortly to be submitted to the people of these colonies for their acceptance or rejection, and it behoves everyone who has the future of this great country at heart, and most certainly every member of this Association, to study that Con­ stitution Bill most carefully, to discuss it with his neighbours, to see that its provisions are fully understood, and the effect thereof deliberately weighed, and then to endeavour by all laudable means to secure its acceptance by the people of this colony. At the last quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors of our Asso­ ciation, held a week ago,* it was unanimously resolved to approve generally of that draft Federal Constitution Bill, and all the branches were directed to take every possible opportunity of publicly discussing the provisions, in order that the members of the Association and the public generally might be fully informed thereof, with a view to its acceptance by the public of this colony when submitted to them. In compliance with that resolution, we have assembled this evening under the auspices of the Sale Branch of the Association, to consider that measure. I accord­ ingly now invite your attention for a little, while I give you a general outline of the Federal Constitution Bill, with such brief explanatory remarks and comments on its provisions as the time at our disposal will permit. In doing so, let me say that I make liberal use of the arguments and language of the delegates in the convention debates. The Federal Constitution Bill. The bill is a document complete in itself, having been framed as a bill ready to be introduced into the Parliament of the United Kingdom, constituting the Commonwealth, and declaring the constitution, which stands as a schedule or separate part of the bill. Its structure and language are concise, clear, and simplicity itself, and its draughtsman, Sir S. Griffith, well deserves the unqualified praise which has been bestowed by friend and foe upon him for it. It empowers the Queen with the advice of the Privy Council to declare by proclamation that the colonies which had adopted the constitution (and which it will be remem­ bered the convention resolved must not be less than three), and which were thereafter to be called “States” in lieu of “Colonies,” should be united in one Federal Commonwealth under the con- \Tune, 1891.
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