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Federation. 



By Edward Bowling. 



The most important national movement Australians liave ever engaged 

 in is that for securing tlie early union of tlie Australasian Colonies. 

 During tlie first lialf of the century the colonists had many public 

 demonstrations to endeavour to secure from the Imperial Government 

 the benefits of representative institutions, independent judicial autho- 

 rities, freedom of the press, cessation of transportation, opening of the 

 public lands, and other desired reforms ; but it is evident that the 

 interests affected by the present federation movement are far greater 

 than those involved in any previous agitation. Although in the early 

 days of New South Wales the Colonial Ofiice in London was opposed 

 to some of the aims of the colonists, the Home authorities are now 

 found desiring that the self-governing dependencies in Australasia 

 should become federated as soon as possible. 



Considering that the vast majority of Australians are also in favour 

 of the early consummation of the union, it is remarkable that its 

 advocacy has not made much headway except during the past few 

 years. This past apathy can only be accounted for by the friction 

 principally engendered amongst residents in the various Colonies 

 through their taking into consideration only provincial interests, and 

 so wholly ignoring the compensating benefits accruing under a proper 

 form of Federal Government. 



A competent authority on the working of civil government. Sir R. 

 C. Baker, President of the Legislative Council of South Australia, in 

 a recent public address, enumerates the following advantages that 

 would accrue from federation, besides the great boon of intercolonial 

 freetrade : — " There would be gains in economy and efficiency in 

 defence ; in the status and powers of the Colonies ; in naturalisation ; 

 in the power to exclude undesirable aliens ; in economy and efficiency 

 of postal and telegraphic services ; in quarantine ; in marine ; in the 

 control of the currency ; in banking laws ; in copyright, trade marks, 

 and patents ; in having uniform marriage and divorce laws ; in pro- 

 viding for facilities for recovering debts and claims ; in regard to the 

 influx of criminals ; in the power to make treaties with other countries ; 

 in the regulation of the rivers ; in the consolidation of our debt ; and 

 in regard to our railways." 



The peoples of the Australasian C(jlonies required to be specially 

 educated regarding the form and working of a Federal Constitution, 

 as, unlike the residents in Upper and Lower Canada, they have not had 

 a neighbouring Confederacy to familiarise them for nearly a century 

 with the benefits to be derived from a united political system. Tli3 



