1901.] Australia.-Effect of Union on State Politics.-N. S. W. [455 Queensland; and a cry for separation was already heard there, which may betoken future trouble to the Commonwealth.

In one point only the new Commonwealth has more than justified the hopes of its founders. It has expressed, even in a more emphatic and intense, because in a more concentrated, form, the loyalty of the Australians to the Empire, and their keen sense of patriotic duty.

Loyalty to the Imperial connection was shown not only in words but in deeds, not less but more conspicuously in the Commonwealth than in the six Colonies. The leading journal of Australia plainly and frankly expressed public feeling when it said: "It is good that this young nation should make the fact quite clear to all England's foes and friends, that in the sacrifices of patriotic duty it has the staying power, the unquenchable ardour, and the strong patience of the race to which it belongs, and whose destiny, for better or for worse, it has proudly accepted."

A conference of the State commandants was held in Sydney on December 30 to consider a uniform system of enrolment of volunteers for the new contingent for South Africa. No difficulty was expected in getting a sufficient number, the majority of the applicants being those who had already served in the war. Mr. Barton denied the report that he was offering a larger contingent than the 1,000 men already agreed upon, but declared that he was quite ready to send a larger force if asked for by the Imperial authorities. The news of the ill feeling in Germany to the British gave a fresh impetus to colonial loyalty, and to the enthusiasm for the war.

New South Wales.-The political history of the States during the year was for the greater part included in that of the Commonwealth. The conduct of public affairs, on all the larger questions of the day, being entrusted to one central body, in proportion as the Commonwealth Government has grown in strength and felt its power, so the State Governments have dwindled, the process being likely to continue to lengths which cannot yet be foreseen. The rise and fall of Ministries in the States no longer attract much attention, even among the people whom they represent; those who are presumably the best men and the most prominent of the citizens having preferred to enter the larger sphere of the Commonwealth, the local institutions have declined in estimation. As one of the leading journals of Australia remarked, "not the Parliament only but the whole State-governing establishment has suffered in status and prestige. . . . The national establishment has invaded and conquered every State."

The New South Wales Parliament was one of those most directly and sensibly affected by the withdrawal of leading politicians to the higher field of the Commonwealth, Mr. Barton, Sir William Lyne and Mr. Reid having transferred their ambitions and rivalries to the Federal House of Representatives.

The State Ministry, under the leadership of Mr. John See, were content to pass such measures as were essential to the retention for themselves of the support of the Labour party. A new nomenclature was adopted, in view of the confusion of the old political landmarks and the absence of real dividing questions, the Free Traders calling themselves Liberals and the Protectionists Progressives." (In the other States it is the Liberals or Democrats who are the Protectionists, the Free Traders being classed as Conservatives.) The Labour Members, as mostly elsewhere, were divided on the tariff question. Mr. W. Hughes, returned to the Assembly by a large majority in Sydney, declared that the tariff question was expressly left out of the Labour platform.

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At the State elections the only issue was a personal one between Mr. See and the leader of the Opposition, the result being that the Ministerialists polled 41 votes, and the Opposition 41, the Labour Party obtaining 27 votes, and the Independents 8.

The chief business of the session was the passage of a measure for compulsory arbitration in trade disputes, founded on the New Zealand Conciliation Act. The Government claimed to have made some improvements on its model which would have the effect of diminishing the compulsion and enlarging the conciliation. In the Industrial Arbitration Bill, as passed on December 6, a strike or a lock-out, before or pending a reference to the Arbitration Court, was made a misdemeanour punishable by fine or imprisonment.

A bill for giving the suffrage to women passed the Legislative Council by 21 votes to 20. In committee, the clause disqualifying women from taking their seats in Parliament was struck out, the majority being credited with the intention of bringing ridicule upon the measure.

The Treasurer made a satisfactory financial statement on September 6. The revenue for the year ending June 30, 1901, was 10,794,335l., showing an increase in the year of 590,3621. The expenditure was 10,518,000l.-the sum of 439,0521. being due to the extraordinary expenses incurred by the war contingents, the plague and the Federal establishment. The total cost to the State on account of the military contingents despatched to South Africa and China was set down at 383,4431.

A great military review was held at Sydney on January 3 in connection with the ceremonies of the inauguration of the Commonwealth. Some 10,000 men were in the field, including the Imperial and Indian troops. The New South Wales military force consisted of 7,000 officers and men, and 1,280 horses.

A great naval demonstration was held in Port Jackson on May 26, in which the Imperial and Australian warships took part.

The Duke of York, with his party, arrived at Sydney on May 26, leaving again for Auckland on June 4.

A monster meeting of Free Traders was held at Sydney on October 28, at which Mr. G. H. Reid was the principal speaker.

The population of Sydney on March 1 was 488,968, being an increase of 102,109 in ten years, or at the rate of 26 per ⚫cent.

Victoria.-Upon the reconstruction of the Ministry at the beginning of the year, consequent on the accession of Sir George Turner to the Treasurership of the Commonwealth, Mr. A. J. Peacock assumed the offices of Premier and Treasurer, Mr. McCulloch became Minister of Defence and Public Works, and Mr. Trenwith, Chief Secretary and Minister of Railways; the other offices remaining unchanged.

The Federal Parliament was opened by the Duke of York in the Exhibition Building on May 7, amidst a crowded assembly. The landing of the Royal party and their stay in Melbourne was marked by a series of popular demonstrations and festivities lasting nearly a fortnight. The Duke and Duchess of York, wherever they appeared, were greeted with extraordinary enthusiasm, the crowds being larger than had ever been seen in any Southern city. The decorations and illuminations in the streets were said to exceed in splendour and good design any ever carried out in a European capital.

At the opening of Parliament, which was witnessed by 12,000 citizens, a telegram was read by the Duke of York from King Edward, which ran thus: "My thoughts are with you on the day of the important ceremony. Most fervently do I wish Australia prosperity and great happiness."

On May 10 there was held a great review on the racecourse at Flemington, at which 15,000 troops of all ranks, including the Imperial contingent and the local forces, were paraded before the Duke of York.

On May 13 the Duke and Duchess of York paid a visit to the city of Ballarat, the centre of the most important gold district, and were received by the mining population with unbounded enthusiasm.

The State Parliament was opened for business on June 18, when Sir Henry Wrixon was elected President of the Legislative Council. An incident occurred at the beginning of the session which led to a scene in the Assembly, and furnished an occasion for a notable display of loyalty. Mr. Findley, a Member of the Labour party, was accused, as publisher of a journal called the Tocsin, of circulating a scandalous libel on the King. After a heated debate, a vote for the expulsion of Mr. Findley, moved by Mr. Peacock, was carried by 64 votes to 17. The Trades Council formally repudiated the Tocsin, and most of the Members who voted against the motion of expulsion expressed their disapproval of Mr. Findley's conduct, and disclaimed sympathy with his opinions. At a subsequent election for East Melbourne, Mr. Findley, the expelled Member, was one of the candidates, and was defeated by a majority of nearly two to

one by Mr. Deegan. A Convention Bill, introduced by the Ministry, was dropped early in the session. The people could not be moved to take an interest in a measure which proposed to delegate to a specially elected body the reform of Parliament.

The Old Age Pensions Bill was the only measure passed during the session of any importance. Mr. Peacock's proposal to reduce the amount payable to a pensioner from 10s. to 78. a week was defeated by a small majority in the House, but an amendment to make it 8s. was afterwards carried; and this, with some modifications of the system of allotment and widening of the scope of the measure, became the Old Age Pensions Bill as finally passed into law.

Mr. Peacock, as Treasurer, made his financial statement on August 27. He pleaded the uncertainty of the amount to be returned to the State Exchequer from the Commonwealth as a reason for the speculative nature of his Estimates. He expected 2,000,000l. to be so returned, on which basis the receipts of revenue would be in excess of the Estimate by 600,0001. The old-age pensions would involve about 225,000l. There were to be no new taxes. The year's revenue had been 8,087,2651.; the expenditure 7,709,033.

A motion of want of confidence, brought forward by Mr. Irvine in the Assembly on November 27 was, after a feeble debate, withdrawn.

The new Governor, Sir George Sydenham Clarke, landed at Melbourne on December 10.

A great Free Trade demonstration was held at Melbourne on August 12, at which Mr. G. H. Reid was the chief speaker. This was followed, after the announcement of the Federal tariff, by another meeting at the Town Hall, on October 21, at which resolutions were passed strongly condemning the fiscal scheme as taxing the necessaries of life and imposing unfair burdens on the mining and agricultural industries, as well as imposts on the raw material of manufactures.

The resignation of the Bishop, Dr. Goe, was announced, to date from the end of September.

Queensland.-Queensland, which was the last State to enter the Union, and was not without misgivings as to the effect of federation on her own interests, before the end of the year saw much cause to believe her forebodings justified. Her own share in the representation she regarded as proportionately inadequate, though she herself was to blame for the mismanagement which led to the election of four Members out of six for the Senate pledged to support the fiscal policy of the Commonwealth, although it was notorious that the State is inclined to Free Trade, with which her interests are closely connected.

The withdrawal of Sir James Dickson, the local Premier, from the State Government, on his appointment to a seat in the Federal Cabinet, led to a reconstruction of the State Ministry. Mr. Robert Philp became Chief Secretary; Mr. T. B. Cribb,

Treasurer; Mr. J. Leahy, Secretary of Railways and Public Works; and Mr. J. Murray, Secretary for Public Instruction and Postmaster; the other offices remaining the same.

The death of Sir James Dickson in January led to the election of Mr. Barnes, a Ministerialist, for his district of Balumba by a large majority.

The Duke of York arrived at Brisbane overland from Melbourne on May 20. There was much public disappointment at the Ophir not coming to Moreton Bay. The Duke left on May 24 for Sydney.

Lord Lamington, the Governor, left on June 20, on the expiration of his term of office.

There was an outbreak of bubonic plague in the State among the arrivals by sea, which was officially declared to have subsided by October 3.

The Kanaka Bill, brought forward by the Federal Ministry, was denounced by the Queensland Government, Mr. Philp, the Premier, in a speech declaring it would entirely destroy the sugar industry, and involve the State in total ruin. A protest against the measure was made to the Commonwealth Government. There was much discontent at the passage of the bill into law, and the end of the year left the majority of the Queensland people, as represented in their own Parliament, more than ever dissatisfied with the Federal Union.

The census returns showed the population of Queensland to number 502,892-being an increase of 109,174 in the decennial period.

South Australia.-The resignation of Mr. Holder, caused by his acceptance of the office of Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, led to a reconstruction of the State Cabinet. A new Ministry, consisting mainly of the Members of the old, was formed under the Premiership of Mr. J. G. Jenkins, with the addition of Mr. T. L. Brooker as Minister of Education and Industry.

The State Government desired the Federal Government to take over the administration of the Northern Territory-an outlying district, the possession of which, detached as it is geographically from the older and more settled districts, and physically alien and remote, had long been regarded as a white elephant.

The Duke of York landed at Adelaide on July 11, and left again on July 15, his visit being attended with very hearty loyal demonstrations.

Sir Hector Macdonald, the well-known South African general, arrived at Adelaide on October 7, and received an enthusiastic welcome.

The revenue for the year ending June 30 was 2,818,712., showing an increase of 37,5541.

The census returns gave the number of the population as 562,595, being an increase at the rate of 15 per cent. in ten years.