The Danger of War.

This was a question with which Confederation was closely connnected. The day dream of some of the earliest setttlers including Sir George Grey, who had shown great foresight in the matter, was that New Zealand should be a great centre of commerce and enlightenment in the Pacific; that to it should be sent the sons of the chieftains of the various Isles, who should be educated here and carry hence the torch of enlightenment to spread abroad the light of civilisation. It was with this end in view that the British Government had been asked to annex this and that island. Look too at the enormous extent and wealth of the Australian colonies. Was it to be wondered at if they were anxious to know who should be their neighbours? To genuine colonisation by the European Powers he did not object, but to the mere establishment of coal depots here and there it was time to oiler resistance, for we should certainly become involved in European quarrels, and the seat of war would be transferred from Europe to the Pacific. With this terrible danger menacing us how could we be too earnest in our endeavors to avert it? Then again were we to have the convicts of Europe turned out near our shores and free to come to them when their sentences were expired? Whether they believed in the doctrine of evolution or not, all must admit that there was such a thing as heredity in crime, and that the children of the criminal, the drunkard, and the immoral were tainted with the vices of their parents. It was with a view to the prevention of this, and of the annexation of islands to be useful to the annexers merely in time of war that confederation was advocated, and Mr Service, the Premier of Victoria, wad entitled to great credit for the position he took up in the matter, and the steps he took to ascertain the views of the various Australasian colonies.

So the Premiers met and agreed to a draft Bill which was to be submitted for the approval of the Colonial Parliament. This was a question which was very much misunderstood. The provision was that there should be a Federal Council established for Australasia to deal with certain questions specified, and also with others if referred to it by two Colonies. But whatever laws were made by the Federal Council were not to be enforced in any colony until approved by the Legislature of that colony. Unfortunately both the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council did not view the confederation proposals with much favor, apparently being fearful lest New Zealand hould be deprived of some of her power and so the Bill was not passed. Since then some of the European nations had attempted to seize certain of the islands of the Pacific, and this brought him to the recent action of the Government with regard to