THE MOTHER COUNTRY AND THE COLONIES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 222, 3 September 1875, Page 4

THE MOTHER COUNTRY AND THE COLONIES.

(Australasian) j Mr. Froude has lately returned to >he Cape of Good Hope on a publi nission from tha lotparial Govarnman , o take part, aa a delegate for Englanc , In j the Confederation Conference whic i -he Earl of Carnarvon has proposed jj > ,he South African Colonies. Und< r these circumstances, it seams, fair j ispurae that in any declaration he mak< s 3D the relations of ther lmperial Govern ment to the colonies, Mr. Fronde may\ 1)8 taken as speaking authoratively. It\ Is therefore very satisfactory to meet \ with the outspoken statement of what England regards as its duty to its colonies, which Mr Froude made at a meetlog in the course of his journey. He 3aid, that so long as the colonies are in I their nonage—*' so to say — so long, \j that is, as they are occupied entirely | with bringing out the resources of their j , Boil, and are unprepared to undertake/ their own defence against external/ aggression, so long will our flag &4 over them. They most continue under our protection, and any power whicp meddles with them most know that It mil have to reckon with Great Britain. S(\ it is with Australia, so it is wnh Canada, and so it is with South Africa. For the present, to this extent, too remain, and must remain, a British dependency ; but a time will come4-in your sons* days, or your grandsons' days, we cannot tell when, but a tftde will come — when you will arriveiat maturity, and must aaaume the dutns as well as the privileges of a full anY perfect national ity. It will be for yoo\ then, to choose whether you will be s independent, and add another to the free nations of the earth, or whether you jv ill remain with Great Britain, no longer as a dependency, but as an equal, as a partner, in the Imperial State of the Great Britieh Dominion, to share its honours, its glories, and its dangers. I On that choice, whon the time comes, J Great Britain will exercise no influence, v If you prefer to leave us, we shall re- j gret your loss— but we shall not oppose j your inclination. If you remain, there ft is nothing which England has to offer/ of which you not have an equal share! with her." j This declaration adds to the evidence! which has of late been afforded of at thorough change in the sentiments oi the Imperial Government regarding the Colonies since the days when Earl Granville and the Times paper were s6 politely and repeatedly telling vs — " Gb when you please, we shall not lifts finger to prevent you," and proving that the Colonies were no profit to tl c Mother-country, but only a source >f expense and danger. A terrible accident has befallen a body of Roman Catholic pilgrims i t Jurdenburg, in Styria. While crossing the rives Mar, which was in a flood! an overcrowded ferry boat was swtfpt down the stream, and the majority oi those on board were drowned, Jjifty-I nine bodies having already been dia-j covered. .;- Marriage among the Burmese is a most peculiar institution, and the] " marriage knot" is very easily undone! If two persons are tired of each other's] society, they dissolve partnership id the following simple and touching bui conclusive manner. Tbey respectively! light two candles, and, shutting uplj their hut, sit down until they are 1 1 burned. The one whose candle burns ]] out first gets up at once and leaves the house for ever, taking nothing but the clothes he or Bhe may have on at the time ; all else then becomes the property of the other party. The following paragraph from the Belfast (Victoria) correspondent of the jj Portland Express, will be read (says I the Eveniog Post) with interest when jj we announce that the parties referred/ ' to made Wellington their goal, and were/ married before the Registrar here d few days ago. It is said that thi happy pair contemplate settling -per mauently in Wellington, the' bjride groom intending to practise his pnofes sion. One of the guardians of tht bride arrived here in pursuit jssfc it lime to learn that the lady and gentleman were spending their honey boot at the Hutt. A reconciliation followed The elopement took place from WarrJ natabool. ' The correspondent writes I —"A fine piece of scandal has beea wafted over here — to wit, that a hand) some diacipie of Esculapius has elopei with an heiress—value, £40,000—tp New Zealand. It is said that the young lady is only 17 years of age, anil that her trustees will not consent to her marriage until she attains her majoritj. ; The doctor, however, is in a hurry-4-has left his patients pining, and has ] skedaddled to New Zealand, where hp ] will lead his blushing bride to the altaj, after which he will come back ani J claim his 'sugar.' Lucky dog — £40,00(1 and a good-looking girl, I should im-\l 1 agine, will have more • charms' for him \ than pills and patients. It's very p astonishing how quiet the Warrnambool folk can keep a matter of this sort; but J