SIR' JULIUS VOGEL ON THE COLONIES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5188, 7 November 1877, Page 3

SIR' JULIUS VOGEL ON THE COLONIES.

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph contains the following report of the speech of Sir Julius Vogel at the Cutlers’ Feast, on the 6th September, in replying to the toast of “ The British Colonies and Dependencies”:— Sir Julius Yogel, K.C.M.G., AgentGeneral for New Zealand, on rising to repond, was loudly cheered. He said, , Dir. Master Cutler, my Lord Duke, my Lords, ladies, and gentlemen : I am gratified at the manner in which this toast has been received, and its having fallen to my task to respond to it. I am bound to say that I do not think it is the least important toast of the evening ; indeed, I think- the time will come, not only in Sheffield, but elsewhere, when it will be recognised that the mother country has much more to hope from her colonies than she has been generally in the habit of thinking. We hear much about the depression which exists ; is not a great deal of that depression due to the fact that the markets of the world which we have been hitherto in the habit of supplying are to a certain extent shut out from us, and that fresh markets should be looked for ? and I venture to say those markets will be found in the future in those splendid possessions beyond the sea, the colonies of Great Britain, and I think—although perhaps my opinion may not find an echo here—this country is to some extent over populated, whilst there can he no question that there is too little population in these splendid colonies. Of course I do not include India. (Cheers.) I believe to put perhaps an extreme number—that if five millions less persons were in this country to-day, and if there were five millions more in these colonies, it would be better for both, and greater prosperity would exist. (Cheers.) However, I hear it stated, “ Are we to lose five millions of our population, and so to supply five millions of persons less with our productions?” Ido not think that would be the case, for from a thorough examination which I have had the opportunity of making, extending over a long period, my opinion is that the average emigrant working man consumes five or six times more of British productions when goes to these colonies than he does when at home in Great Britain. I am taking the average laboring emigrant; and he consumes at home chiefly imported food, and buys as little clothes as he can do with —he certainly does consume more or less of British beer—(laughter)—but when he goes to the colonies the chances are that he will have a home for himself, and that he will bring up his family far beyond his means if he had remained at home, he will use materials of all kinds, implements of all kinds, and tools of all kinds, and not only does he use them himself, but; he indirectly influences others to use them, and that will give him a consuming power, as I have said, many times more than he would have had if he had remained here. (Cheers.) You send over emigrants to the colonies, and what is the result ? They will influence the demands from Great Britain of all kinds of productions ; aye, and not least of those productions for which this great steel metropolis of the world is so famed. (Cheers.) I have been one of those who have anxiously hoped to see the empire more closely united in a new confederation, and I have said that if the fear of the colonies requiring Parliamentary representation stood in the way—as I believe it did—for a long period to come the colonies would be contented with representation at a Board of Advice to the Secretary of of State. What has occurred at the last session of Parliament, however, has very forcibly made it appear to me that probably representation in Parliament might with advantage precede any measure for consolidation. Last session one of the great difficulties—and I trust Mr. Lowther will pardon me for saying bo—was the want of someone with colonial experience who could express authoritative opinions on colonial matters, with a personal knowledge of the colonies. But then the great fear in the way of giving Parliamentary representation to the colonies was the fear that some of the colonies might send to Parliament some curious representatives whp would not sufficiently hold in esteem the traditions of that great institution. I think even those who might have been swayed by that fear of the colonial representation would be ready to admit that no colonial representatives would appear in the House who would show such contempt for the traditions and credit of the House as had been shown by some members whose names we will not mention. (Cheers.) Allow me to say this, with all diffidence, there are some things the mother country may learn from the colonies with advantage. It is well known that the ballot was not adopted in this country without much reference to the experience of its adoption in the colonies. Now, to turn to some things which you have not at home, yet which we have in the colonies to some extent at any rate. In some colonies we have a near approach to an almost perfect municipal system. We have in the colonies that which I suppose the large majority of persons in this country will at any rate admire, that is an approach to a free, secular, and compulsory system of education. (Cheers.) They have, again, in the colonies a system of public prosecution, and there cannot bo there, what there undoubtedly is to some extend in this country—that is to say, criminal prosecutions cannot be made in the colonies the instruments for private vengeance or the means of enforcing civil claims. (Cheers.) Again, in the colonies land can be transferred under the land transfer system with as great ease as the shares of a public company. (Cheers.) I mention some of these things with great diffidence, whilst I do not mention those tilings by which I think the colonies can gain, with advantage from the experience of the mother country. lam fully alive to the fact that it would take me far too long to dwell upon the many things which the mother country could teach tho colonies to do and to avoid doing, I thank you very much for your hospitality, and for the kind manner in which this toast has been received, (Loud cheers.)