The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5319, 13 April 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1878.

Some time ago we referred to a paper, read at the Royal Colonial Institute by Sir Samuel Cooper, on New South Wales. Ry the papers to hand by the last mail we have a full report of the discussion which ensued after the reading of the paper. One speaker was somewhat puzzled that there should be an increasing revenue in Now South Wales, which had for the past few years adopted a free trade policy ; whilst Victoria, which had pursued a protective policy, was standing still. There is little doubt that great benefits have accrued to the.elder colony through adopting an enlightened fiscal policy, but revenue, in the case of New South Wales, is no true guide as to its prosperity. For several years past the papers of Sydney have been dilating on the sound financial state of, the colony ; in fact, the Colonial Treasurer .was in the very unusual position ; of, having 'more money - at his disposal " than was deemed necessary for the purposes _ of government, and large, sums were lying at the banks to the credit of the colony. However, this flushness of cash arises solely through the wholesale alienation of the public estate which has been going on in Now South Wales. If settlement had kept pace with the sale of land, there

would: be room for congratulation; but the Sydney Herald, the leading j ourrial of New South’ Wales,'lately' contained a series of articles whi6li proved that such had-not be&n! the case. It is riot within the purpose 'of bur article to seek the causes which led, to, the large alienation of the lands of the Crown withoutadequatesettlement, butit may not be out of place to state that it took place under the pet laws of that party.in New South f Wales which strove to identify itself in the eyes of the country with a liberal land law. Mr. Labilliere, a native of Victoria, spoke of the good feeling which should exist between the various colonies. He said : Now, although I am a Victorian born and brought up, and am deeply attached to my native colony, I must say 1 have never ente.tallied one degree of jealousy of the parent colony of New South Wales or of any of the other Australian colonies. X think it is a great misfortune that any petty provincial differences should be for one moment entertained between those different colonies, because the real tact of the matter is that the prosperity of tlie Australian colonies, as a whole, depends upon tho individual prosperity of each one-of them. (Hear, hear.) If Victoria were to star 1 a'one, or New South "Wa’es, or any one of the coin. dev what would it bo by itself? We must all eude.ivor, whether we look to the interests of groans of colonies or of the whole Empire, to realise how essential tlie units are to eacli other and to tho grand total. We mrrt ail stand by tlie great principle of keeping together: (H ear, hear.)' I cannot conceive what possible interests there are. I never could see that (here were any interests in either of the colonies which clash nlth tlie interests of the other colonies. We have got there a magnificent teiritory stretching f om South Australia right away up the east coast of Queensland, and the more the prosperity, the more the resources, of the whole of that tei itory are developed, so much the better will it be for ever/part of Anstrali™,. But I should like to make a few observations as to the astounding progress which lias been made within tlie lives of men still living in the Australian colonies.

The question of immigration was fully entered into, and most of the speakers dwelt upon tlie vast benefits which would accrue to tho mother country and the colonies by an extensive immigration. The speaker already referred to said ;

If we could only get the people of the colonies to see that what they want Is population, and if we could only get tlie people of this count:/ to see that there are too many people in tills island already, and if we could get them both to ivo-k together for the great pivpose of easing tin pressure of population in tins comit.y and supplying the great dearth of inhabioants in that new land, what a splendid thing it would bo for ns all, particularly if wo hold to tlie principle that we are an Empire, one and indivisible, and that wo must endeavor to promote the screiigth and prosperity of this country, as well as that of the colonies, and to develop those great resources which we have in tlie new lands of our Empire. That is fie true means of firmly establishing our national greatness and our national prosperity n-i a permanent footing. But if we continue here massing our population iu this country in great towns and districts where they have no chance of fresh a'-, where they Mve in wretched hovels and in damp and dismal neighborhoods, what must be the effect upon the future generation of tho people of this country? The people of tills Cf untvy must deteriorate very considerably. Well, if we could get those people who are thus vegetating iu this country to go out and people those new lands, we should add most permanently to tlie strength of our Bmp'-e, and all doubts and difficulties as to our future policy and capacity to cope with the growing strength of other Powers would be very speedily solved.

Although several nations ave making rapid advances in population, wealth, and power, there is none keeping pace with the mother country when her vast colonial possessions are. taken into consideration. It seems strange that in discussing Russian designs upon India Australia is seldom; if ever, taken into consideration by the Press and statesmen of Great Britain. It is calculated fhat in the ordinary course of events from fifty to a hundred years will elapse before Russiacan be in a position to contest the supremacy of the East with England. This may be a short period in the history of European countries, but in the rapidly growing communities of Australasia immense changes will take place in that time. In fifty years hence there will in all probability be ten million of people in Australasia, and by that time a large trade may be opened up with India. We may then haveadirectinterestin theßritish retention of India. With a numerous and wealthy population in Australasia, England will have powerful aid in retaining her Indian possessions.. The Duke of Manchester, who is President of the Colonial Institute, paid a high compliment to Sir Julius Vogel for his efforts in the cause of immigration. His Grace said :

For that time to come there is necessarily required nn increased population of those colonies, as has been already alluded to. New Zealand, so ably and wisely advised by Sir Julias Vogel, has spent large sums in assisting emigration, and tho Australian colonies must remember that they have yeiy important competitor* for enrgrants in the United States. Ib is a much easier and shorter voyage, in the fltut place, and therefore much less costly for people to go to the United Staten than to Australia. They cannot expect emigrants to come such a dls ance, to undertake so long a voyage, which, they must also remember, has a much more al .rmlng idea to people who have never crossed the sra than to residents in New Zealand and Australia who run backwards and forwards for a couple of months to i - h« Antipodes. The pcople—the laboring classe-—look upon tho cea voyage as a very tremendous operation, besides the expense of it;.and I am sure that anyone who has seen the benefit produced to any colony by assisted emigration will admit.that it is most desirable for the progress of the colonies to introduce a considerable amount of. English labor into them. There is -another class of persons, of course, who may emigrate, and who do great benefit to the colonies, and thore are the clft-ces above the laboring class, people with either large or small sums of capital with enterprise ; and I think it is very greatly to be regretted that so few healthy enterprising young men, perhaps not of very studious habits, but honorable and highralnded, should go to try their fortunes in the colonies. X am convinced that it wou’dbe of benefit to the colonies and the Empire that they should do so. Unfortunately for the colony there is a Government now In power which is by no means favorable to immigration, and who professes such an abhorrence to the capital already in the colony that there is not much likelihood of its doing anything which would encourage the introduction of capitalists.