Amongst the younger band of politicians, it is not difficult to discern three Premiers in petto.  Mr. Reid, of Sydney, only wants more parliamentary and administrative experience, and the more thorough understanding of the proportions of affairs which a couple of years’ residence in England would give, to become the nearest approach to a statesman which Australia has ever seen.  In South Australia, Mr. Dixon shows a great deal of promise.  In Melbourne, Mr. Deakin’s fluency of speech impressed me considerably.  Upon him will probably fall Mr. Berry’s mantle.  All three of these rising politicians are young and enthusiastic, but while Mr. Reid and Mr. Dixon are Australians in the widest sense, Mr. Deakin’s ideas seem to be unable to reach beyond the colony in which he was born.

The Land question, the Constitutional question, the Transcontinental-Railway question, the Coastal-Trunk Railway question, the Education question, the Immigration question, will be seen to be common to all the Australian colonies.

In Victoria and South Australia the constitutional question is at rest for another decade; but though it is not at present on the tapis, there is every probability that within the next five years New South Wales will abandon the nominated Upper House for one elected by a propertied constituency, such as that of the South Australian and Victorian Legislative Councils.  Within the same period Queensland, or at any rate the southern part of it, if it splits into two over the question, will adopt universal suffrage.  Very possibly the opportunity will also be taken to make the Legislative Council elective, but probably on a much less liberal basis than in the other colonies.  Five years more of progress such as she has made last year, and Western Australia will become fitted for and obtain constitutional government.  The liberalizing of the Australian constitutions is entirely a matter of time, but the direction is pretty well indicated.  The length of each step depends mainly upon whether it is made with the goodwill of both Houses at a time when there is no urgent demand for reform; or whether it is affected by obstruction on the part of the Upper House; or whether, as seems likely to be the case in New Zealand, it is brought about by the apathy of the Second Chamber.  I doubt, however, whether even Victoria has reached finality in its Constitution, and it is difficult to prophesy what form the Colonial Legislative Council of the future is to take.  Probably before Reform can take a new direction, there will be Federation, with an Australian Senate.