17th Aprit. Pux Sydney Convention, to consi and decide on the Federal Cor for the Australasian colonies, met on Monday, the 2nd of March, under th presidency of Sir Henry Parkes, Premier and Colonial Secretary of New South Wales. Seven colonies sent their dele-Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South ates to the Convention, New South
Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Western Australia." It is interesting to note that of these delegates, 45 in all, each Australian colony sending seven and New Zealand three, 16 were born in Australia, 14 in England, 8 in Ireland, and 7 in Scotland. 'I'he business of the first day's meeting was signing the roll. This, says the Sydney Bail, "yes an elaborate and somewhat lenge thy procedure, for the parchment had to be carefully dusted and prepared by the clerk before a name could be written, and then each delegate was naturally careful about the way in'which he wrote his name on such an historical docunent, which may very likely go down to future ages in -fac-simile just' as the) American Declaration of Independence has done." The election of the officers of the Convention. concluded the first day's business, and in the evening the occasion was celebrated, "in accord with our traditions as Englishmen or desfendants of Englishmen," by a grand banquet in the Centennial Hall. "Australian do such things in a grand way, as is fitting when the occasion is the Lirth of a new nation, and there were some nine hundred diners and a large number of lady spectators. Sir Henry Parkes was in the chair, with the] Governor of New South Wales, the Earl of Jersey, on his right, and the Convention delegates on his right and left at the high table. 'I'he usual loyal were received with the greatest siasm, and then came the health of the Governor; and we may well note some of the points in the Earl of Jersey's reply, as it must have been carefully prepared, and doubtless represented the views that the home government takes of the proposal federation of Australas Lord Jersey told that representative gathering of colonists that England was watching the proceedings of the Convention with deep interest and anxiety for its success. "There is no petty at home of the growing pros perity of the colonies. There is no desire to hinder the natural development of this land of boundless promise, and there is a real friendship—personal as well as national—for those who, se-atated from us, or separated from jand, by thousands of miles of stormy an, are united by the strongest ties that can ever bind free peoples together—one mother tongue and one constitutional and beloved Queen. (Euthusiastic cheering.)" Federation was evidently determined on by all present, but it was federation without separation from the mother country, "Under the crown" was the keynote of the whole proceeding. The great speech of the evening was that by Sir Henry Parkes on the toast, "One People, One Destiny." Sir Henry said that the time had come, and there was a general outbreak of applause when he said it, for the Australian people to make common cause and ithout one common destiny. "Seeing that we have at this moment " population of upwards of four million people living in a land] which is enringed by the -everlasting sea, and a land that has no coterminous neighbour, seeing all this, we say that the time has come when this Australian people shall be o1. But this did not ian ply any disloyalty to the Empire, any unnecessary attempt at setting up an independent government... We seek no separation. We only seek to draw closer the bonds of Empire. We seek to draw closer the bonds of true loyalty, and to continue to share in the rights and privileges that belong to every British subject." It would be tedious to insert the "Cheers" with which every }sentence in the speech was greeted. The gist of it was that Australia-was to have States Rights, Federation, and continued Union with Great Brituin.. It: is ust an easy task to draw up a constitution on these lines, but if the seven colonies concerned are as eager for federation in cold blood, as their delegates were in the heat and excitement of a public banquet, the task will be done. The Hon. James Munro, President of Victoria, who spoke next—aud it must not be forgotten that in many matters Victoria is the jealous rival of New South Wales—was equally firm for federation, and his speech was 80 much of a practical character that we may quote a considerable part of it. He regarded the principle of the question as settled, and it was also settled that each colony should retain its individuality "What was desired was, not to deprive those colonies of any powers which they now possessed, but to get for them additional powers by federal government. (Cheers.) In forming this Dominion we must not have a weak institution with a poor Executive which will not be respected. We must have a Dominion, with such powers that we shall all look up to it, and respect it, and that the nations of the world will respect. here would be no good forming a weak Executive, or in appoint ing a Government which has no power of taxation, and no power to carry on the defences of the country. Tea Dominion is to be formed, it must be ry powerful Dominion, which would strengthen avd guide the colonies in the great destiny which Iny before them. They must unite for defence. He ventured to say that no member of this Convention is, at the present time, under the impression that in forming this Dominion they were going to weaken the Empire. If he believed this Dominion; no matter how anxious he was for it, would do anything to weaken our connection with the British Crown he for one would refuse to sanction it. (Cheers.)"
Several other delegates spoke in the same steam, and the proceedings closed with the playing of the National Anthem by the band, and three cheers for the Governor.
The Convention, of whose proceedings we have details up to the 14th of March, has naturally met with considerable difficulty in the work "of establishing a, satisfactory balance or adjustment between the interests of the Federation as a whole and the interests of its constituent parts." It is proposed to have a Federal legislature of two Chambers, the one elected on a broad popular basis, and a proportionate representation of population throughout the whole territory. The other Chamber, or Senate, will be also elective, but each colony will be represented by an equal number of members. The grave question has been as to the respective powers of the Lower House and the ite, "The cause of the difficulty lies, says the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.