Page:Advanced Australia.djvu/181

 {|
 * Victoria|||96,600||for Federation |||21,200||against it.
 * New South Wales&emsp;|||71,472||„|||65,954||„
 * South Australia|||35,317||„|||17,173||„
 * Tasmania|||10,709||„|||2,532||„
 * Total|||214,038||„|||106,859||„
 * }
 * Tasmania|||10,709||„|||2,532||„
 * Total|||214,038||„|||106,859||„
 * }
 * Total|||214,038||„|||106,859||„
 * }

Majority for the Bill 107,179. The Bill was carried in Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania; but was lost in New South Wales, as the statutory number in favour (80,000) was not reached.

The Bill was not submitted to the people in Western Australia, as the Enabling Act of that Colony provided that Western Australia should only join a federation of which New South Wales formed a part. The three other Colonies, which had affirmed the Bill, might have proceeded to form a federation; but this was never even proposed, so general was the conviction that the Commonwealth was inevitable, and that, weary as everyone was by this time of the prolonged discussion, the matter must now be seen through once and for all.

The constituencies of New South Wales now became the battle-ground of federation, for a general election took place not long after the federal poll was taken. Mr Barton entered the lists in favour of the Bill, and opposed the Premier in his own constituency. No candidate declared against federation itself, but only against the particular form proposed. Mr Reid proposed in vague terms certain amendments, and invited the Premiers of the other Colonies to meet him to consider them. Sir George Turner replied by asking what amendments were proposed; but the Premiers of South Australia and Tasmania declined to go behind the vote of the people, and discuss amendments in a Bill which they had sanctioned by large majorities. Mr Barton was defeated, after a close con-