THE COLONIES AND THE EMPIRE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9351, 21 January 1909, Page 5

THE COLONIES AND THE EMPIRE.

LORD NORTHOOTB ENTERTAINED.

United Press Association. —By Bleo trio Telegraph.—Copyright. / ' London, Jannary 20.

Lord Northoote was entertained at a dinner at Whitehall Rooms./ There were 280 present, including the Dnkes of Norfolk, and Marlborough, Lords Rosebery, Halsbury, Salisbury, Mount Stephen, Stratbcona, Milner, Tennyson, Ampthill, Leamington, Brassey, Longford, Jersey, and MaoDonnell, Lord George Hamilton, the Honj. A. Lyttletpu and the Agents General..

Mr Hall-Jones proposed “The King, Queen, and Royal Family,” dwelling on the loyalty of New Zealand and,her deep affection for the Motherland. SPEECH BY LORD CREWE. Lord Crewe, presiding, proposed Northoote,” who had not returned as a worn ’out who was laying down his areas for 5»ood. On the contrary, he said, he oad hia weapons well cleaned aud bright, 5 aha who knew how soon might be called upon to u«e£ them again in the service of the Empire. He (Lord Northoote)possessed many claims to esteem and regard, apart from his hereditary claim to statesmanship. He had had rare and valuable experience of ! a high office in two great divisions of the Empire. Crewe, continuing, said he did not believe the colonies, were'destined to split away from the Motherland or the Motherland to split £away from the colonies. The centrifugal forces were slight and few compared with the centripetal. He remarked that as generation followed generation the Actual tie of blood must lessen to some extent. On tfye other hand, what a number of forces were making for union. He instanced the very real link supplied by the Grown ; the improvement, of the means of transit and oonmmunication, and the prospect of being able to draw the defensive forces of the whole Empire into a unity .which oonld not be carried on with identity of methods but by a distinct understanding of what the defence of the Empire meant, and by an identity of purposes and action, (Cheers.) The Imperial Conference had done much in the past, and would do more in the future to secure greater unity and if possible closer communication. An incomparably more difficult problem was to decide the future relations respectively 'beween the Motherland, the Dominions, India, and the rest of the colonies. Its solution would require the help of the very best heads of the Empire, and among those there were none whose opinion was more valuable than Lord Northoote’s. If a hearty welcome and generous friendship had made the task of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth in some respects easy, yet the occupant of the post was confronted with difficulties requiring the exceptional qualities of tact, patience, courage and impartiality, snob as were not often united in one man. It had been Lord Northoofce’s privilege to lend a guiding hand to the Commonwealth as it rose from boyhood to the strong manhood it had reached. He had shown that he possessed the very qualities just mentioned. He has witnessed some of the difficulties connected with the relative functions of the |Oommonwealth and the State—difficulties which must neither be ignored nor over-rated. Earl Crewe continued by saying that the difficulties referred to naturally belonged to the delimitation of functions after the foundation of the Commonwealth. If anybody was inclined to taae a really serious view of tljoae difficulties they migt be reassured by a perusal of similar problems which confronted the American Union from 1782 to 1888. Earl Crewe finally mentioned that the necessity of increasing tire white population was a pressing Australian problem, but he believed immigrants of the right sort would be welcomed warmly. The toast was drunk with acclamation and cheers.