FEDERATION, 



349 



New Zealand, Victoria, and Queensland occupy an area of 3,101,457 

 square miles, and are nearly equal in extent to the territory possessed 

 by the Dominion of Canada. The population of the Australasian 

 Colonies at the end of 189 i numbered 4,153,700, bein^ much more 

 than that of the residents of the United States at the time when the 

 independence of that country was gained. The trade of the Austral- 

 asian Colonies is, however, twenty times greater than that of the 

 American States when they declared their independence, and shows 

 the much greater commercial intercourse between nations during the 

 present century principally obtained by the extensive use of large 

 steamships instead of small sailing vessels. In 1894 the trade of tlie 

 Australasian Colonies with the United Kingdom was £50,544,000, 

 or more than double that of Canada, althcnigh parts of tlie latter 

 have been settled by Europeans three times as long, her cities 

 are much nearer the great centres of trading operations, and she 

 has nearly 1,000,000 more inhabitants. The prosperity of the Austral- 

 asian Colonies is greatly due to the large extent of excellent pastoral 

 and agricultural land, accumulated wealth, invested capital, home 

 manufactures, and foreign trade, Avhich have made the average wealth 

 of the Australian to be greater than that of the inhabitant of any 

 other country. The revenues of the several governments fur the year 

 1894-5 was £27,978,075, being three times as great as that for 

 Canada, notwithstanding her much larger population. The exports of 

 Australian produce increased from £20,000,000 in 1801 to £51,000,000 

 in 1894, and consist pinncipally of the produce of the pastoral, mining, 

 and agricultural industries, such as wool, tallow, hides, gold, silver, 

 copper, tin, coal, wheat, meat, butter, wine, fruit, timber, kc. 



The foregoing figures exhibit the wonderful ])rogress that has been 

 made by the Australasian Colonies during the last fifty years, which will 

 be found far greater than the development of the Canadian Provinces 

 during the same period ; but, it is believed, that under a similar 

 confederation to that of the Dominion of Canada the progress of 

 Australasia would have been much more than the totals given. The 

 trade of the Australasian Colonies in yearly value amounts to 

 £112,000,000, and the exports and imports reach a grand total sea- 

 wards of 17,350,000 tons. Australasia has constructed 13,788 miles 

 of substantial railways, connecting all the chief cities, and 47,558 

 miles of telegraphs on poles conveying messages to all parts of the 

 Australian Continent. Her pastures feed 121,101,000 sheep, 13,315,000 

 horned cattle, 1,891,000 horses, and 1,191,000 swine; and the increase 

 to the crops during the last half-century is much greater than what 

 has been reaped in the Canadian Dominion. 



Many years ago the question was raised as to the policy uf ubtaniing 

 freedom and independence for the golden lands of Australia, but it is 

 evident that the time for departure from under the a-gis of the 

 greatest empire in history has not arrived, Dismemlx'rmeut of the 

 British Empire is now deprecated by English and Australian states- 

 men, and under the present liberal colonial policy of the Imperial 

 Government— which has allowed the full enjoyment of free mstitu- 

 tions — many years must elapse before the great majority of Austra- 

 lians would desire to see their country an independent state. The 

 present century is remarkable for the achievement of Federation 



