Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/233

 Conclusions ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 207 in its advocacy of advanced liberal measures, may be looked upon as the product of the democratic sentiment prevailing in the Province since its proclamation, and especially since responsible government was advocated and established. One other special political feature is the development of the Federal sentiment, and its crystallisation into definite action. Since the establishment of responsible government numerous conferences of representatives from the several Australian colonies have assembled to determine on united action in matters of intercolonial import, but it was not until the last two decades that any decided desire was manifested for a constitutional federation. In 1883, it was enacted that a Federal Council, composed of delegates from each of the colonies that chose to be represented, should meet Happy Valley Rkservoir periodically to debate questions which seemed to demand united action. This Council having no executive power, was not by any means a great success. A Convention of historic importance was held in Sydney in 1891, by which a constitution was framed, but local politics so absorbed the attention of the colonial parliaments that no further progress was made for several years. At length an agreement was reached between the several Premiers to lift the subject out of the region of political partisanship, and allow of it being dealt with by the people who were most concerned. In pursuance of this arrangement, an elected Convention, representing all the colonies but Queensland, a.ssembled in Adelaide in March, 1897, which afterwards held adjourned .sessions in Sydney and Melbourne. The result of its labors was a Commonwealth Bill, which, after enduring some vicissitudes and being slightly amended, was accepted by a popular vote in all the