The Daily News THURSDAY, MAY 3. COLONIAL INDEPENDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8100, 3 May 1906, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, MAY 3. COLONIAL INDEPENDENCE.

The accession of the Liberals to office in Great Britain on the present oc- c casion will ever be associated with a I startingly new development in the ' relationship between the Motherland and the colonies. Practically, the j position has boen brought about by I ignorance of colonial affairs, mani. " tested by directors of colonial policy in * England, But few politicians at [ Home have any adequate conception ( of public feeling in the colonics, which, while proud to form part of tho ] Empire, are yet as determined that there i shall be no undue interference with j their internal affairs, as Britain is averse to colonial interference in her \ domestic affairs. * * * * The stand taken by Natal in connection with the suppression of the native rising, is one that will have the cordial support of all the self-governing colonies. Natal has declined to seek the assistance of Imperial .troops, for the reason that as soon as the Imperial troops enter Natal, tho Imperial Government would assume to itself control of the situation, completely subordinating the authority of the Colonial Government. That would be quite proper so long as Britain was fighting in defence of her territorial rights, but so long as these rights are not threatened, tho Colonial Governments must have supreme control of all their internal affairs, unless they are of such a nature as to involve Britain in international complications. In the present instance, thero is no denying that the rising of the natives is one that may have grave consequences for South Africa. * * * * Apart al'ogother, however, from the constitutional point involved, there is no question that Natal, possessing all the local knowledge, is in a better position to deal with the natives than the British authority under whom Imperial troops would be employed. If Britain is not pro. pared to trust the colonies with the control of Imperial troops in such cases of emergency as liaye arisen in Natal, , colonials will endeavour to deal with , such emergencies without Imperial assistance. There is no question of ' bravado in the stand for constitutional rights taken by the little colony of ; Natal. Natal is only showing the ; Mother Country that it she is notpre- > pared to give the colonies assistance in J the same spirit that assistance would i be forthcoming from the colonies were 1 Britain to require their help, her assistance cai} lie dispensed \yith. 1 * * * # , In their internal proublps thp [ colonies have practically become strong ■ enough to protect themselves and one another, and that the colonies arc pre- , pared to do, rather than sink their t individuality. Colonial troops from , the Transvaal have already taken their stand sido by side with their brother colonists of Natal, but it is no suggested that because the Transvaal is assisting Natal to fight, that she therefore has any right to interfere with the administration ot Natal Britain's position, were her assistance required in the present trouble, would bo on all fours with that of the Transvaal or any other portion of the Empire that might volunteer assistance. In matters such as those, unless Great Britain is prepared to act the part of the big brother in the family, instead of t lie domineering parent, there will speedily arise dissension in tho household. Thore is little liklihood of such an unfortunate contretemps, however, if the Colonial Ofllco realises, as Lord Elgin unfortunately failed to do at the outset, that the colonies are individually and collectively self-governing nations, working out . their destinies on lines peculiarly their own, The case qf Natal is a test one, which is likely to result in a considerable modification of Imperial claim to precedence, and consequently a better understanding all round. The difficulty only emphasises the necessity for direct colonial representation in the councils of the Empire, and affords a striking example of the necessity for the realisation of the oft discussed Imperial Zollvcrein scheme.