332 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



C. G. Duffy, despite his claim to be the originator of the move- 

 ment, had too many other things to occupy his mind, and the 

 supposed aspirations of the people were ignored for another decade. 



Then Sir Henry Parkes came once more to the front. He had 

 attended a meeting in Melbourne as far back as 1867, and spoken 

 eloquently for union. At an intercolonial conference, which began 

 in Melbourne, and closed in Sydney in January, 1881, that veteran 

 statesman submitted the draft of a Bill to establish a Federal 

 Council which was described as "a mixed body partly legislative 

 and partly administrative, the forerunner of a more matured 

 system of Federal Government ". Sir Henry was careful to 

 declare that the time had not yet come for the construction of 

 an Australian Federal Parliament. He was satisfied, however, 

 that what he proposed would lead the colonists in the direction 

 of Federation, and by accustoming the public to the idea would 

 lay the foundation for such a form of Government. The limita- 

 tions with which the proposed Council was hedged round were 

 so severe as to render it doubtful whether it could be of much 

 use. When it came to the vote only New South Wales and 

 Tasmania were satisfied. South Australia gave a qualified assent, 

 but Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand declined to entertain 

 it. Many years afterwards, in his autobiography, Sir Henry 

 Parkes admitted that he had made a mistake in submitting this 

 Bill, which on maturer consideration he recognised must have 

 proved abortive on trial. As showing the somewhat indefinite 

 attitude of this great political leader towards the topic of the 

 day, it is worthy of note that in October, 1879, Sir Henry con- 

 tributed a glowing article to The Melbourne Review, in which he 

 strongly advocated the union into one political state of the three 

 Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Not 

 a federation, but unification with one Parliament, the Lower House 

 to consist of 200 members, the Senate of 100. He waxed eloquent 

 over the superlative destiny he anticipated for what he proposed to 

 call "British Australia," but the stolid community did not rise to 

 the occasion, and the path of glory was missed. 



On the 14th of June, 1883, a renewed interest in this question 

 was aroused by a vigorous speech delivered by Mr. James Service 



