THE FEDERATION OF THE EMPIRE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3675, 25 April 1883, Page 4

THE FEDERATION OF THE EMPIRE.

Sir Alexander Gait, G.C.M.G., the High Commissioner for Canada, addressed _ a meeting in the Merchants' Hall, Edinburgh, recently, on tho subject of the Relations of tho Colonies to the Empire. Sir Alexander, in giving a brief summary of the present condition of the Empire, said that its area rvas 8,000,000 square miles aud its population 210,000,000, governed by 35,000,000 in the British Islands and by about 11,000,000 of their descendants in the remaining portions of the Empire. The mother country anel the colonies bail a united trade of over £1,000,000,000, of which .£700,000,000 re-presented that of Great Britain and £300,000,000 that of _ the colonies. The colonies contained the fairest unoccupied portions of the earth's surface. Canada, Australia, the Cape, and the AVest Indies contained 7,000,000 square miles, rvith a population, almost entirely of British descent, of 11,000,000, and, with the exception of the West Indies, possessing free institutions anel haA.ng complete control over their own local affairs. Many people in England, even statesmen, vicrved the rapid growth of these colonies as if tho only future that awaited them must be independence, a result rvhicb he believed rvould be disastrous both to them and to the Empire. They rvere the best customers the country had." and offered the best field for the surplus ciipital and population of Great Britain and they tended to maintain its influence and porver upon the ocean. The present position of the colonies wan one with which they were satisfied, but it should not be disguised that Avith their grorving importance there would soon arise claims for a greater share iv the policy of the mother country rvhicb deeply affected their interests, and it rvas mnvi.se to arvait the moment when these feelings should become pronounced — much better by timely discussion to sco rvhether such a change could not be made iv the system of the government of (he Empire as rvould insure the continuance r\-ithiii it of the colonies for all time. The House of Commons Avas unable to meet the demand for local legislation. The remedy rvhioh might be applied rva.s by no means novel, ittitl had been suggested and discussed both in the Press and by public men, and, notably, Earl Grey seA'eral years ago propounded a .scheme for the federation of the Empire. If it became necessary to grant local institutions to Ireland, they must necessarily bo accompauicel hy similar concessions to England and Scotland, and a favorable opportunity rvould then arise for inducing the self-governing colonies to enter into a truly Imperial feeleration, by their united strength adding to the influence of the Empire anel securing from attack and loss those vast possessions which must continue to be governed directly by the Crown. He suggested that the subject of Imperial federation might with advantage be considered by the GoA'crnment Commission of representative men from England, Scotland, Ireland, and self-governing colonies, rvho rr'oiilel liar, before them the federation of the United States, the German Empire, and many other successful constitutions dividing local from general legislation.