IMPERIAL ZOLLVEREIN.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 165, 25 September 1880, Page 3

IMPERIAL ZOLLVEREIN.

An Imperial Zcllverein, which should ' include all the British pouewion* aud the mother country iu ,„,(, commercial avutwn, has long been n favourite idea with tome of Uiv statesmen of (.':ina li. -N'ow interest has of lute beou given to the discussion of it by a correspondence between the Hon. ,f. P. Umbos and Joku Bright. Mr. Forbes takes the position : that the present attempt of Canada to | coerce the United States into reciprocity by establishing a retaliatory tarilT is fraught with the greatest danger to the! British connection; that the oxample of' the United States ii having a powerful effect on the people of the Dominion ; tbr.t a now generation ii growing up there I whish knows not the feoling of lovahy to England: aid that the only possible j way to hold England and he'r colonies together in to have th»m united by intimate commercial ties as against all other j nations. _ To those arguments Mr. Bright j replied in the following statesrnnnliko I letter:—"Dear Sir: Your plan is not new, but it is unwise anil is totally lui- ! practicable. Wo hare done all vou wish and all we can do. Not an article com- • ing here from Canada, or Victoria Australia}, is charged with duty; yet Canada and Austral:;, place hoavy <lutieß upuu our exports to them. Will they give Up protection at our request or advice '1 There is not a chunce of it. Or at our daiusnd or command ? On the contrary, th»y would have revolution* declaring their indepoudcncs of England. But if tho scheme were possible, it would require us to pla-.e heavy duties on corn from Russia and the United States, which would catlie great diseoutent here, for any supply we oould obtain from the colonies would'be wholly insufficient. J am quite sure that to impose duties on American corn and cotton would not force a change on the States, whilst it would not be endured in this country. A duty ou cotton would lie a harden which would lessen our power to compete with other manufacturing nation*. I regret tho course taken by the Canadian Ooverament. 1 regard it as the first step in the direction of separation from the mother country. I have tin belief iu the maintenance of tho Umpire on which tha sun never sets, but it grieves mo to see the colonies departing from principles which all sound theory and our experience have shown to be wise. ]f the colonies were wise they would follow our example. If they will uot do so we must leave them to their own course, but. I think they should not come here for loans or for guarantees for loans. 1 am, respectfully your*, John Bright,"—Mr. Forbes sent a rejoinder, in which hs asserted that the colonies should he treated as a part of the Umpire, and not as foreign countries. " Vou may be sure." he says in conclusion, "if something is not dona soon Canada will stat housekeeping on her own account, and England will have only j herself to blanee,"—Chicago Tribune.