III.-CORRESPONDENCE. No. 1. NEW SOUTH WALES. GOVERNOR VISCOUNT HAMPDEN to MR. CHAMBERLAIN (Received 8 a.m., February 3, 1899.) TELEGRAM. [Answered by No. 2.] Australian Federation Premiers' Conference resulted in agreement; result highly satisfactory. No. 2. MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR LORD BRASSEY. (Sent 4.33 p.m., February 3, 1899.) TELEGRAM. [Answered by No. 3.] Convey congratulations on behalf of Her Majesty's Government to Premiers on result of Federation Conference. No. 3. GOVERNOR LORD BRASSEY to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 1.41 p.m., February 4, 1899.) TELEGRAM. Premiers highly appreciate congratulations* from Her Majesty's Government on result of Federal Conference. No. 4. NEW SOUTH WALES. GOVERNOR EARL BEAUCHAMP to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 9.5 a.m., June 21, 1899.) Majority in favour federation, 21,530. Country returns not yet complete. No. 5. GOVERNOR LORD BRASSEY to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 5.55 p.m., July 27, 1899.) TELEGRAM. Victoria has emphatically affirmed amended Federal Constitution by overwhelming majority. Affirmative vote at present 141,611; negative vote, 9,179; further returns will increase majority. * See No. 2. No..6. TASMANIA. ACTING GOVERNOR DODDS to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. Amended Federal Constitution Bill adopted by majority of sixteen to one. No. 7. GOVERNOR LORD LAMINGTON to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 9.10 a.m., September 4, 1899.) TELEGRAM. Referendum federation returns still incomplete; present majority 5,136 in favour of bill; hardly possible to be reversed, No. 8. LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR SIR S. W. GRIFFITH to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. Have much pleasure in informing you that Address to Queen for the adoption of Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Bill has been carried in the Legislative Assembly 57 votes to 10. No. 9. LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR SIR S. W. GRIFFITH to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 9.40 a.m., October 11, 1899.) TELEGRAM. Have much pleasure in informing you Address to Queen for the adoption of Commonwealth Bill has been carried Legislative Council 16 votes to 9. Yesterday resolution passed by Legislative Council negativing reference of Federation Bill to the people. Despatch follows by mail. No. 11. NEW SOUTH WALES. MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR EARL BEAUCHAMP. (Sent 12.55 p.m., December 22, 1899.) TELEGRAM. I trust that it is true, as reported, that delegates will be sent to England from Australia to assist and explain when Parliament is considering the Federation Bill. It is desirable that they should confer with Law Officers of the Crown and Her Majesty's Government on constitutional and legal questions involved, and such a conference might avoid any protracted discussion and opposition on technical points in Parliament. When may delegates, if they are coming, be expected to arrive. No. 12. GOVERNOR LORD BRASSEY to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 4.15 a.m., January 10, 1900.) TELEGRAM. Referring to your telegram of 29th December,* have much pleasure in informing you that my government are sending the Hon. Alfred Deakin, M.P., appointed as delegate to confer with Law Officers of the Crown on Australian Federation. Date of departure will be sent immediately. No. 13. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR LORD TENNYSON. (Sent 11.35 a.m., February 19, 1900.) Telegram. Please furnish statistical returns of Colony under your Government, required for Section twenty-six Commonwealth Bill. Repeat this telegram to Governors of Federating Colonies, which should mutually agree as to figures. No. 14. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. GOVERNOR SIR GERARD SMITH to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 2.34 p.m., February 20, 1900.) TELEGRAM. Ministers have appointed Parker, Q.C., formerly Colonial Secretary, Representative of Western Australia in London to watch passage of Commonwealth Bill through Imperial *See No. 11. Sailed on 17th Parliament, and urge amendments necessary to meet wishes of local Parliament and people of Colony, and otherwise act in the interests of Western Australia. February, "Himalaya." No. 15. NEW SOUTH WALES. LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR SIR F. M. DARLEY to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 8.5 a.m., February 23, 1900.) TELEGRAM. Referring to your telegram* received through Governor South Australia, Prime Minister informs me statisticians are now conferring with regard to Section twenty-six Commonwealth Bill. Will telegraph information when conference closed. No. 16. GOVERNOR VISCOUNT GORMANSTON to Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 12.8 p.m., February 24, 1900.) TELEGRAM. Referring to your telegram of 19th February,* forwarded by Governor South Australia, Tasmania is not entitled to more than minimum number of members provided for in last paragraph Section twenty-four Commonwealth Bill; estimated populatiou is 182,500. No. 17. NEW SOUTH WALES. LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR SIR F. M. DARLEY to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received 9.30 a.m., February 27, 1900.) TELEGRAM. Referring to my telegram of 23rd February,† Section 26 Commonwealth Bill, conference statisticians report population, excluding aborigines, on 31st December as follows: Quota, 59,112; number of members in House of Representatives :-New South Wales, 23; Victoria, 20; Queensland, 8; South Australia, 6; Tasmania, 5. SIR, No. 18. QUEENSLAND. LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR SIR S. W. GRIFFITH to MR. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received February 28, 1900.) Government House, Brisbane, January 13, 1900. I have the honour to transmit by this mail a Petition to Her Majesty the Queen, signed by twelve members of the Legislative Council of Queensland, urging certain objections to the Draft Bill for the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia. 2. The Petition does not appear to call for any comment. To HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY VICTORIA of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India, &c., &c., &c. WE, your Majesty's most faithful subjects, Members of the Legislative Council of the Colony of Queensland, humbly represent to Your Majesty : That we approach Your Majesty with the assurance of our devoted loyalty to Your Majesty's Throne and Person, That the Legislative Council of Queensland on the tenth October, 1899, agreed by a majority of sixteen to nine, to an address to Your Majesty praying that a Bill for the establishment of "The Commonwealth of Australia " be submitted to the Imperial Parliament with a view of the same being enacted as a New Constitution for the Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland. That your petitioners as Members of the Legislative Council strongly object to the proposed New Constitution for the following reasons :— Because, the Senate being elected by the people and not by the Parliaments of the States, there is no provision for the Representation of the Government of Queensland in the Federal Parliament, so that the Government of Queensland will be isolated, and yet the State subject to Taxation, and to have its laws abrogated without notice or power of appeal. Because, the Senate will be absolutely powerless to conserve the rights of the several States, as it is subject to being outvoted by the double number of the Representatives at joint sittings of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Because, the whole of the revenue of the Colony being pledged for the payment of the Interest and Principal of the Public Debt of Queensland, the transfer of the onefourth of the Customs and Excise for the period of ten years, and thereafter of the whole of that source of Revenue, is a distinct breach of the contract under which the Colony has obtained loans to the amount of £34,000,000. Because, the power of levying Taxation, raising Loans on the security of the Public Revenue, and of enacting Laws for the Government of the State, are transferred to the Federal Government, while the Liabilities for the payment of existing Public Loans and Interest thereon are to remain chargeable to the State, though it will be deprived of the power of raising money to meet the claims of the Public Creditors as Bondholders. Because, in the event of the whole or part of a State territory being transferred to the Federal Government, there is no definite provision for its Representation in the Federal Parliament, or any Constitutional Rights reserved. |