was simply that the movement was premature. He thought there was no occasion to hasten towards federation, and he thought also, at the moment, maybe, that New South Wales had more to lose than to gain by it. He is an ardent free-trader, as free-traders go in Australia; and he saw that a federation accomplished between six or seven colonies, only one of which had adopted a free-trade policy, must almost inevitably be based on protectionist lines, so far at least as the outside world is concerned. However, he overcame his objections in this respect; and in 1895, on his suggestion, a conference of Premiers was held at Hobart, Tasmania. At this conference all the Australian colonies, with New Zealand as well as Tasmania, were represented. An enabling Bill was drafted for submission to the Parliaments, permitting the election (by the electors of each colony) of ten persons to a Convention to draw up a scheme of federation. This Bill was passed in all the colonies named except New Zealand and Queensland. It was not expected that New Zealand would come in; but the defection of Queensland was a severe blow to the movement. The Parliament of that colony failed, after several attempts, to agree as to the basis of the representation of the colony.
Mr Reid made a special journey to Queensland to try to induce the colony to join, for New South Wales expected the support of its northern neighbour on some of the crucial matters to be decided by the Convention. There was a fear that Victoria might obtain the support of the Southern and Western colonies in a combination against New South Wales, and the mother-colony was reluctant to enter into a Convention without Queensland. As a matter of fact, it may be said that such fears were groundless. The delegates to the Convention found a natural cleavage according to their political convictions, but there was no attempt to
