GREAT BRITAINS COLONIAL EMPIRE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 358, 14 January 1876, Page 3

GREAT BRITAINS COLONIAL EMPIRE.

(Mr. Forster.) . Mr. Forster believed our colonial empire would last, because, while .no longer striving to rule the colonies as dependencies, we welcomed them as partners in a common'and mighty empires He dwelt at 6ome length upon the advantages of commerce with our colonial possessions, [and upon the pecuniary advantages, of emigration He would not give Canada notice that she must prepare to take care of herself, as. he believed such a course was unnecessary, dangerous, and cowardly.. Ifit was possible to replace dependence by association each member of the Federation would find in the common nationality at' least as much scope for its aspirations, as much demand for the patriotism, .energy, and self-reliance of its citizens, as it would if trying to obtain a distinct nationality for itself. He saw no insuperable physical or moral bar to such, a Federation ; but he had no proposal - to make as to the way in which such a body should be formed, for one reason, because it would be premature, as no change in our relations was yet necessary. The conditions of such union, might however, be discussed. To him it; seemed that, in order that our smpire should, continue, all its different self-governing communities must agree in maintaining allegiance to one. monarch—in maintaining a comm n nationality, so that each subject might find that he had the political rights and privileges of other subjects, wheresoever -he might go in the realm , and lastly,- must agree not only in maintaining a mutual alliance in all relations with foreign powers, but in apportioning among themselves the obligations imposed by such a course: He did not despair lor one future tariff for the empire, and that, too, based upon our present fiscal policy namely, .' customs levied upon as few articles as possible, with a corresponding excise. The Imperial must include foreign policy, and therefore arrangements for mutual defence. Generally speaking, internal affairs must be left to the local governments;- and the admission of the colonial representatives into our Parliament could not be a permanent form of association, , though it might possibly be useful in the temporary transition from the dependent to the associated relation. In conclusion, he would allude briefly to a few principles which ought to actuate our policy if we looked forward to a permanent union. We must continue by every means to invigorate the' colonies, therefore we irrupt try to give them the strength of union with one; another wherever possible, as already in the Dominion—as we trusted might soon be the case at the Cape, and as hereafter might be accomplished in Australia. We ought also to do our utmost to increase their moral vigor, and encouraging them in self-reliance and in the fulfilment of all the duties of citizenship. Nor must we suppose that we could give this right to self-Government by halves. We must allow them'to manage, or even, in our opinion; to mismanage their own affairs.; But while fully admitting this right of self-government, we might in honest friendliness ask them'to carefully consider any internal measure which might appear to be contrary to Imperial interests. We must not sap the. desire for union at home by asking the British taxpayer to pay for the colonist that which he was able and willing to pay for himself. And, lastly, we- ought to take every opportunity of showing that we consider the colonist our countrymen, and every colony part of the comon country, and especially we ought to welcome every step' that any colony might take in measures ofcomtfion defence.