[Editor: This article, regarding an arranged public debate over the proposed abolition of state parliaments, was published in The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 7 September 1909.]
Unification or Federation?
A.N.A. Debate.
Mr. Toutcher defeated.
A challenge lightly thrown out by Mr. Toutcher, M.L.A., terminated in a debate in the Hawthorn Town-hall last night under the auspices of the Hawthorn branch of the A.N.A. The cause of the challenge was a difference of opinion on the question of unification versus federation.
Mr. Toutcher had said at a public gathering that he would like to debate the question with the mayor of Hawthorn (Councillor D. H. Dureau), who favours unification. Councillor Dureau at once took up the gauntlet.
The debate attracted a large audience, and Mr. F. J. Fraser, the president of the branch, presided. Among the visitors was Mr. Chanter, M.H.R., who was welcomed as the first president of the New South Wales association.
Councillor Dureau urged in favour of unification the enormous saving that would result from the abolition of the State Parliaments. In emphasising the problems before the Commonwealth, he said that he did so to show what must be faced in the way of federal expenditure, and to show the urgent necessity of the most rigid economy, coupled with increased powers of taxation, in order to prevent the country becoming overwhelmed in debt or remaining unprogressive. State rights were merely another name for narrow provincialism and State jealousy. (Applause.)
Mr. Toutcher defended the Federal Constitution as being absolutely national in character. He argued that if it were attempted to govern from a remote centre the result would be the destruction of the centre as well as the extreme limits of the country. Unification was bad in principle, vicious in effect, and dangerous in consequences. The time would come when the railways would be transferred. He agreed that the State Governors and the Legislative Councils should be abolished, and a referendum substituted. Unification could not wipe out the demarcation of the States.
The judge, Mr. J. S. Meagher, awarded Mr. Toutcher 73 points and Councillor Dureau 80 points.
Source:
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.), 7 September 1909, p. 7
Also published (with some minor differences) in:
The Advance Australia (Melbourne, Vic.), 14 September 1909), p. 202, column 2
Editor’s notes:
A.N.A. = Australian Natives’ Association (a fraternal patriotic organisation and mutual society which was founded for the benefit of Australian-born white people; the organisation was originally established in April 1871 as the Victorian Natives’ Association, but in 1872 it extended its coverage to all of Australia)
See: “Australian Natives’ Association”, Wikipedia
Chanter = John Moore Chanter (1845–1931), storekeeper, farmer, auctioneer, and politician (with the Protectionist, Labor, and Nationalist parties); he was born in Adelaide (South Australia) in 1845, and died in Caulfield (Melbourne, Victoria) in 1931
See: 1) G. N. Hawker, “John Moore Chanter (1845–1931)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “John Chanter”, Wikipedia
Commonwealth = the Commonwealth of Australia; the Australian nation, federated on 1 January 1901
D. H. Dureau = David Henry Dureau (1873-1943), businessman and local politician; he served as Mayor of Hawthorn (Victoria), 1909-1910; he was born in Nerring (Victoria) in 1873, and died at sea (whilst en route from the USA to Australia) in 1943
See: 1) “Obituary”, The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 28 May 1943, p. 4 (see section “Mr. David H. Dureau”)
2) “Death of Mr. D. Dureau”, The Canberra Times (Braddon, Canberra, ACT), 28 May 1943, p. 3
3) “Obituary: Mr. D. H. Dureau dies at sea”, The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Vic.), 28 May 1943, p. 12
4) “Sudden death of Mr David Dureau”, The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld.), 28 May 1943, p. 6 (City Final Edition)
5) “Obituary: Mr. D. H. Dureau”, The Corowa Free Press (Corowa, NSW), 1 June 1943, p. 3
6) “Births, marriages, deaths”, The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 28 May 1943, p. 5 [includes a death notice for David Henry Dureau]
7) “List of mayors of Hawthorn”, Wikipedia
8) “Search your family history”, Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria (birth record: name: David Henry DUREAU; mother’s name at birth: Maria BUTTERLY; father’s name: Lude DUREAU; place of birth: Nerring; reg. year: 1873, reg. no.: 8972 / 1873) [there was no record of David Henry Dureau’s death in the register]
M.H.R. = Member of the House of Representatives (someone elected to the lower house of the Australian federal parliament)
M.L.A. = (abbreviation) Member of the Legislative Assembly
Toutcher = Richard Frederick Toutcher (1861-1941), known as Dick; nationalist and politician; he was born in Maryborough (Victoria) in 1861, and died in Caulfield (Victoria) in 1941
See: 1) Donald S. Garden, “Richard Frederick Toutcher (1861–1941)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “Richard Toutcher”, Wikipedia
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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