The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1879.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 409, 19 March 1879, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1879.

Although originating in every limited country, no race of men has ever been more afflicted with ‘earth-hunger’ than the English. They early showed their disposition in centuries of war to establish ah empire on the Continent, to possess Wales, to subdue Ireland, and o •nquer the Scotch. These contests were scarcely over before the insatiable islanders appeared in India and America, where they soon appropriated the lion’s

share. '-Thi-se fields for acquisition being exhausted, they turned to Australasia a vl Africa, where the work of adding slate to state is still going on. As long as there is a foot of fertile land in the world unpossessed by a civilised power, we suspect that the Britibh will follow their strongest instinct, and enlarge heir empire. The days may come when . Englishmen will weep because there are no more worlds to be won from the savage, pr from the forest and the beast of prey. Then, when there is nothing unknown, and nothing to he won, such books as “ Robinson Crusoe ” and Gulliver’s Travels” will have lost their charms \. for they will no longer wake pleasing hope and fond desire, but will mock the longings of every English reader. The Swifts and Defoes of tlie future will have to travel, at least, as. far as the moon, and the restless and adventurous spirits of that generation, wishing to escape the monotony and prosincss of civilisation, will purchaseimproved telescopes, and gazing at Mars and Jupiter, wonder how a colony would prosper there. We, however, will not then be remembered, except as having written this prophecy; for there will be new settlements in Africa and New Guinea, long after New Zealand ns an old and populous state. We have" fib doubt that in. those vast territories Britain will still continue to act the part of Cadmus, and sow the seeds, from which nations of men shall spring. It has been strenuously denied "of* late that foreign possessions are of ' any benefit to a country. If they are not?; then every country has been mistaken;? and every other has refused tobejieve it. Colonies confer wealth and happiness on,; the nation to whom they belong. They confer wealth by their trade, which follows the flag as surely as the flower turns to the light. Thus Alalta, situated close to France and Italy, yet imports from Britain goods to the amount of £10,324,000 yearly. Most of this she exports to Africa. This reclaimed rock, with 145,000 inhabitants, is not only of vast importance to Britain from a military and naval point of view, but is mi oguuti in u large Troy for British manufactures, which she would not be if she belonged to France or Italy. The trade of Australasia, which is wholly the growth of the last fifty years, is already of great importance. - The imports; of the group of colonies amount to the immense sum of £45,000,000 per annum, nine-tenths of which probably represents British goods. But colonies confer happiness as well as wedth, if that can be said to confer happiness which allows man to live as nature ordained. It is a most painful fact to contemplate that the number of marriages in the United Kingdom constantly rises and falls, as the price of bread falls and rises. This one law of statistics tells us, how even now, in wealthy England, the strongest and dearest of human inat.inoto lino to yield to stern necessity; how the vast majority of bur countrymen have to consider before entering that state in which happiness ought to abound, that what is enough for one is only half enough for two, and short commons for three. Yet the British race is highly prolific compared with continental people. Among these nations, then, who arc not blessed with colonies, there is evidently a still more cruel restraint placed , upon the first instinct of man. How colonies relieve this restraint needs scarcely to be pointed ont. They drain off thousands of the population yearly, thus affording sensible relief from over-crowding. They buy their imports from Britain, so supplying her with work and income, and they sell their exports to her, so supplying,her with cheap food. Manifestly, .therefore, since they help to supply the Briton with bread, and with the wherewithal to buy it, they enable him to marry; that is to say, they enable him to enter into that estate which is conducive alike to morals, health, and happiues. The influence of on health and morals is'not a question within the scope of this article. J it is .well-knowp, however, from ihrariable laws in. statistical returns, that that influence .is very : great. If this be borne in mind, it will help to show that the views of those politicians who deprecate the extension of .our empire, -are ; very narrow, and exhibit a plentiful lack of thought. It is pot merely a question of trade, or of strategic i strength, but one of the moral and physical development of our race. Colotjiep, help in no unimportant degree, to make the nation possessing them,; moral and healty, happy, and wealty. While’ there is ..a ; colony left, therefore, may the British race possess. it; ;