Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1872. INTERCOLONIAL RECIPROCITY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1518, 27 December 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1872. INTERCOLONIAL RECIPROCITY.

Por several years past some of the Australian colonies have exhibited much anxiety to arrange their fiscal systems independently of any control of the mother country. They jiave desired to legislate with special reference to the interests of certain other colonies which would be willing to act in the same way towards them, thus to mutually admit tlie produce or manufactures of such colonies either duty free or at nominal rates of duty, while all other Communities would be subjected to the vlisadvantage of relatively heavy imposts on the same description of goods. 3Bv terms of the Constitution con-

ferred upon tjiem by the Imperial Go•yernment, they are unable to do this, there being certain treaties in existence between inoihev country and some

foreign states specially providing against such a contingency. Neither is it at all probable that England would submit to be kept out of its market in its own colonies by a system of duties that would press heavier on it than on certain of its dependencies. However, as we have said, the attempt has been made, notably by the legislatures of this Colony and Tasmania, both of which have passed Acts to enable them to impose such differential duties. These Acts having been reserved for the sanction of the British Crown, have been disallowed, greatly to the mortification of the parties concerned. Something more than twelve months ago there sat at Melbourne a Colonial Conference, and it was not long after the time that had brought out the despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Kimberley, convoying her Majesty's refusal to allow of such legislation, together with his lordship'* reasons for the same. The despatch was a masterly exposure of the scheme—stripping it bare of its plausibilities—for whereas it was put forward so as to appear like an application of the principles of free trade between the colonies, it was, in fact, an extension of the exploded doctrine of protection, being intended to favor the manufactures and products of certain colonies, to the prejudice of all besides, whether her Majesty's subjects or foreigners ; indeed it proposed to go even further than this, and reciprocate with the United States of America, giving them tariff advantages over the British nation, provided that it could secure the like. His lordship showed that though the Imperial Government permitted a Colony to adopt a protective l .system of taxation within its own! boundaries, as the means of raising its I revenue, the aspect of the question was matemlly altered when it was proposed to extend that system beyond those boundaries.

This despatch formed a principal subject of consideration at the Conference referred to, and excited much indignation, which was expressed in a re turn despatch vo Lord ICimberley, in which the Conference, in effect, asserted that the Imperial Government had no "iglit to interfere with the fiscal policy of the colonies ; claimed thai the colonies should be allowed to make whatever arrangements they might please with each other, irrespective of any treaty that may exist or might be made by the imperial Government with foreign powers; and insisted that Imperial control over the fiscal policy of the colonies should cease at once and finally. All this and more was agreed to by the Conference, with the excep tion of the representative of Queensland (New Zealand was not represented), and the despatch was sent home accordingly. As might be expected, it lias in due course been replied to, and, as might also be supposed, the arrogant and absurd claim has not been granted, but a good reason supplied for its icfusal, in the fact that certain of the cola nists had already endeavored to shut out the manufactures of Great Britain by a protective tariff; that such policy was held to be unsound I>* all versed in political economy; and that the granting of the requited power would probably lead to an extension of the policy, and embitter the feelings of the British people against the colonists. Such a decision should, wo think, have been final; but such is not the opinion of our Colonial Treasurer, the Hon. Julius Yogel. flTe has come 1o the rescue, and in an elaborate memorandum has endeavored to reply to the arguments of the Secretary of State.

He has of course made the best of the case : his memorandum is carefully compiled, but will riot, we believe, convince his Lordship of error. New Zealand, it appears, has an exceptional constitution, and can to some extent adopt the coveted plan—that is, so far as to make auy tariff arrangements that are not inconsistent with the treaty obligations of the British Crown; but it will not avail itself of the privilege, because no other Colony can reciprocate. It will not admit Australian mauufactures or produce duty-free, because those Colonies have not the power 10 make an exception in its favor. Were the question really one of intercolonial free trade, as its advocates are fond of putting it, we should be among the first to hail it as an instalment of the more general adoption of the principle; and we doubt not that the Home Government would be quite willing to aid in bringing it about. So Mr Vogel would try to convince his Lordship that it is no necessary consequence of these arrangements that tbey should bo antagonistic to the principles of free trade. " Tt is right, therefore," he says, " that the Colonial Treasurer should state that his former memorandum was adopted by the then Government of New Zealand, most of whose members were opponents of the doctrines of protection." He is not, however, hopeful to set aside the stern logic of facts, or to get his lordship to suppose that anything like free trade is the ainr of the Colonies that are seeking the power of imposing differential duties. The leading Colony of Australia has already adopted the policy of protection as the groundwork of its tariff; and Mr Yogel has in fact succeeded in introducing the thin end of the protection wedge into, that of this Colony, He could not, if he would, pass himself off as a favorer of free trade principles, his antecedents as a public man being known ; and he therefore prefers to throw off the transparent mask, and insinuate doubts as to the wisdom or stability of the free trade policy of Great Britain. He says: —" There are not wanting persons who fail to see that there is any greater guarantee against modifications of the present free-trade policy than there was against the reversion of the policy of protection, which at one time had an equal hold upon the minds of thepoople of the United Kingdom " And again : —'* The question really seems to narrow itself to this—should the theories of a comparatively modern school of economy outweigh the teachings ot actual experience in the Colonies, backed by the recommendations of able practical men, including amongst their number officers in the Imperial service I " —which, if it has any meaning at all, implies that there is no such science as political economy—that no certain conclusions can be drawn from experience; but that every charlatan whom chance may raise to power is justified in following the wild vagaries of his own fancy, in opposition to the teachings of the experience of the greatest commercial nation in the world, confirmed by that of all others which have had the courage to give free trade a trial. In thfise Colonies there is not the same reason for the backwardness in its adoption which exists in the old countries, where class interests of ancient date exist antagonistic to its principles: and still less reason is there for the retrograde movements that are being made in the futile attempt to stay its progress—in view of which we hesitate not to say that it would have been far better for the Colonies if the power of regulating their tariffs had. been retained by the parent state, and guided by its wisdom.

In the Resklent Magistrate'* Court to-day there was one civil case—Reardon v. Henare Tomoana, a claim of £2l 12s 6d.— Defendant did not dispute the claim, and judgment was given foe the amount, with £1 16s 6d costs—ta be paid within one month. In common with various other part* of the Colony, the weather during the past few days has been exceedingly warm in Napier. This afternoon, however, the wind—which had prevailed for some time from the N.E.—went round to the S.E, which has had the effect of cooling the atmosphere to a considerable extent; while the appearance of the sky as we go to press gives indications of the approach of rain. The English Mail via Suez arrived at the Bluff early on Christmas per s.s. Albion, from Melbourne* At the opening ot the Ladies' Benevolent Society at the Thames, on the 29th ulr., the Rev.. James Buller, Wesleyan Minister, paid the following happy compliment to woman:—"We have been treading in the flower-* ing paths of Paradise today, for we have been surrounded with things. ' pleasant to the eye, and good for food.' Such a scene carries the thoughts back; to the blissful Eden, < before sin brought death with all its woes into our world/ Is it to woman that man owes his ruin l Let him not forget it is to woman he owes his restoration too. I will not use the words of the flatterer. 1 shall carry with me the judgment of all when 1 say that woman is the corner stone of the social fabric. Her influence on society is all but omnipotent i and in. the walks of benevolence she shine* with the moral lustre of a ministering ? angel." The water-supply question, is attracting much attention in Auckland. One of the schemes proposed is to purchase o£ Messrs Low&Motion what ai;e known a& the Western Springs. A correspondent of the Evening Star, under the signature, of <« Eye-witness," referring to thk subject, makes an extraordinary statement,. the nature of which can be gathered by the following editorial comments in the Star:— <' Are we to believe that the Western Springs really me on public land, and that thence the water has been conveyed by an artificially-formed subterranean passage, and made to see the light on the property of private persons? and are we to believe that, this being so, negotiations have been actually proceeding for the pui chase* by the city, of this artificial spring at"=a. fabulous price? We pause for a reply£ but we dp so wish great impatience,"