The Evening Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3664, 19 November 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1874.

What new scheme has Mr Disraeli now in his mind ? He told the people of England at the Lord Mayor’s feast that the policy of his Government would be “to consolidate the Colonial possessions and establish an identity of interests with the Mother Country.” Are those words to be considered as indicating some scheme for federation, or were they merely intended to fall in v ith that renewed interest in Colonial matters, that has been gradually growing since the value of British-born populations, rich, well-to-do, and good customers to the Mother Country, has been demonstrated by the growth of the Australasian settlements? That the traditional policy of the party to which be belongs is that of extending Colonial Empire is undeniable; that it is not to be abandoned is evident in the annexation of Fiji; that it will be more wisely conducted than in times gone by, is fair to be inferred or experience is useless; that the position of the Colonies in relation to Europe is capable of improvement very slight argument will demonstrate , but whether a Conservative Administration is likely to do more harm or good by meddling with present arrangements, is very doubtful. The Colonies and dependencies of Great Britain are peculiar. They embrace manners, customs, and hereditary modes of thought of almost every variety of type. Conquered from the French, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Indians, and Africans, British ideas, though predominant in swarms from the Mother Country, have to be grafted into the populations of foreign extraction, so that a form of Government that would be readily adopted and understood by one section would have to be modified to suit the ideas of the rest. Sir Francis Head, Lord Durham, and other Governors of Canada had to contend with these difficulties at the time of the rebellion in Canada ; and, though ultimately overcome, large concessions to the French Canadians were found necessary. Before a federation could be arranged that would give the Colonies a voice in the affairs of an Empire, many conflicting notions would have to be adjusted. In the Colonies the condition of the people is democratic: they are nob accustomed to acknowledge class privileges, and a peer of the realm has to meet with colonists on conditions of equality. The people here, accustomed to rule in their own affairs, would not very cordially brook any interference in them by a House of Lords. They submit with a very bad grace to the irresponsible acts of the Legislative Council, selected from amongst themselves and supposed to have no interest or privileges apart from their own; but the tall talk now indulged in would be magnified in such a case. The question would soon be asked, what could the peers of England know about Colonial matters 1 and probably the reflex action on the minds of the people at Horae would not be particularly agreeable to the upper classes there. Already that is seen in many changes that have taken place. It was no slight recommendation to dis-estab-lishing the Irish Church, that it was _ found religion in the Colonies subsisted, and religious institutions found liberal support, without help from the State; and after trying in vain to check bribery at elections, and at the same time to retain control over the votes of dependents, the simple and effectual Colonial plan of the ballot was adopted ; mainly that, although proposed many years before and rejected because of its alleged failure in America and France, it was found efficient when honestly carried out in the Australian Colonies, The influence of Colonial ideas on British institutions may not be acknowledged at Home, but it is not the less real; and Mr Disraeli’s party was raised to power to check their rapid spread—that is, to check the rapid growth of democracy. The cry raised by the privileged classes prior to the last election was, “It is time to stop, or all our institutions will be overthrown”

The difficulty of federation would be still further increased by the mistakes of several Colonies regarding “ protection.” The spirit of monopoly prevails among British dependencies to a very great extent. Why a man in one part of an empire should have a right to say, “ Because I live here, those that live near me shall not buy of you at a distance, as I mean to get rich by charging them an extra price,” is a question that has never yet had a rational answer given to it. It is very certain that, since in proportion as he becomes rich by the extra price, the others must become poor, nothing is gained by it ; ani as they have less money to spend on other things, others must be losers to that extent. Great Britain has cast off this suicidal notion, and, so far as America is concerned, the civil Avar proved that difference on that point is inadmissible in a federation. Whatever share the abolition of slavery, as a weakening process, had in the last mouths of the civil war, the first incitement to it was the different commercial interests of North and. South—the determination on the part of the North, by protection, to compel trade with the South. This division of idea would prove a difijoulty jo the 1

way of federation between Great Britain and her protective offshoots. We do not see, therefore, that at present federation would be advantageous either to the Mother Country or the Colonies. A time may come when it will be advisable. Just now it would neither give us better government, more suitable institutions, nor increased prosperity. There is just enough of the rod held over her children by our Mother to keep the Colonies from fighting with one another ; and the only additional blessing she could confer would be that which she is too proud to ask the rest of Europe: it is, that if she her- ; should get into hot water with a nation that happens to own a few Alabamas or Shenandoahs, they might not be allowed to consider the Colonies or Colonial shipping fair game. Compacts ot this chai’acter are made respecting such kingdoms as the Sandwich Islands ; but when a proposal of that sort is made to our Mamma, she bridles up, puts on a proud look, and says, “Be quiet, child—l am well able to protect you.” So she would be, had she but one bantling • but with so large a family, her watchdogs could not take care of them all, no matter how quick their motions or sharp their teeth.

The Albion Company’s new ship Auckland, from Glasgow, which port she left on August 20, with about 360 souls, for Port Chalmers, passed the Bluff early this morning. Provision has been made in both barracks for the receipt of her immigrants. Mr Mausfonl, R.M., attended at the gaol at ten o’clock yesterday and remanded prisoner Henry Bedford to a further term of seven days, in order to allow time for a Victorian constable to arrive to escort him to that Colony. Mr * nspector Mallard attended on behalf of the Crown.

We hear that an action for defamation of character and slander is to be brought against Mr R. B. Martin by Mr W.°J M'llroy, arising out of the recent Comet proceedings in the Law Courts. Damages are laid at L 2,000. Several other law suits connected with the Comet cases are pending. Lamkinism appears to be as rife as ever in the north end of the town, and the police have received information of robberies from several stores in George and King streets. During the week no less than five lads have been apprehended by Detective Bain and brought before Mr Bathgate, from whom they have received their deserts.

Mr B. Short, the travelling agent and lecturer of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, delivered a most interesting lecture on the subject of “ Happy Homes : How to make them,” last evening, at the Temperance Hall. Between 500 and 600 persons W'-re present, and the chair was occupied by Mr J. W, Jago. A full report will appear to-morrow.

At Oatna.ru, on Monday, a man in want of the “ needful” forged two cheques, aud as soon as be had forged them he, of course, made every endeavor t,o get them cashed. Being' unsuccessful in this, h,e at once commenced to hunt round the town for Sergeant Smith, and. after a great deal of d fliculty, at last succeeded in Hnding him. He at once informed the Sergeant what he had done, and did not rest contented until he was placed in “durance vile.” The police at • ’amaru have arrested a lad named John Paterson, aged ten, on a charge of setting to a stack of hay on the Ist inst.

“The Octoroon” drew a good house at the Princess Theatre last evening, and served to introduce Mr and Mrs Bates in two new stjles of character—the former taking the part of Salem Soudder, the latter that of Zoe, Mr Bales njsde an excellent Salem, his representation of the cool bjit determine- 1 Yankee not being overdone, and his acti-m and by-play being good and natural. Mrs Bates had scarcely life enough in the first scene or so, but threw much pathos into the part of the Octoroon girl in the latter portion of the plaj r . Mr Clinton, as George Peyton, filled that prominent part very fairly, and acted most carefully. Mrs Walter Hill made a good Dora Sunny side, and Mr Keogh’s Jacob M.'Closky was sufficiently villainous. The minor characters were satisfactorily filled. The same piece wjjl be repeated this evening. '

The first general meeting of the Walton Park Coal and Pottery Company has been postponed till Monday, A concert and dance, in aid of the Oaversham Brass Baud, will be held in the Caversham Prill-shed to-morrow evening, at 8 o’clock. A special general meeting of the Third New Zealand Building Society will be held in the lempevance Hall this .evening, at 8 o’clock. We are requested to call attention to an alteration of the hour of sale of the booths gates, &c., for the Jockey Club spring meeting OP St. Andrew’s Day ; the sale will take place at 11 o clock on Saturday, instead of 12 as announced.

The programme of Madame Goddard’s concert to-morrow night, which appears in our advertising columns, is so varied and excellent that it requires no comment, beyond mentioning the three pieces which the eminent pianiste wiU play, viz., Beethoven’s Grand Funeral March Sonata (op. 26), Thalberg’s Fantasia on Don Giovanni,” and a Scotch Fantasia. The theatre is sure to be crowded in all parts.