The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1891. IMPERIAL FEDERATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2156, 29 January 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1891. IMPERIAL FEDERATION.

Loed Cabeington, who for many years filled the position of Governor of New South Wales in a most satisfactory manner, has returned Home, and given the English people a few useful hints with regard to the attitude which the Imperial authorities ought to assume towards the Australian colonies. Lord Carringtoa's hints are suggestive and practical, and, so far as we know, no man has yet shown a clearer understanding of the question than he has. In the paper on the subject which he read at the Colonial Institute, last Monday, he condemned interference in the domestic affairs of the colonies, en the ground that a spirit of Nationalism was growing up in the colony which would not tolerate it. Nothing could be truer than this. There is really a class of people at Home who think colonists ought to be British first and Australian afterwards. They think the first duty of colonists is to the Empire, the second to the country in which they live. It is really amazing how people can allow themselves to be deluded by such notions. What interests have the great majority of colonists in Great Britain ? Not a penny, They recollect it as a country in which they experienced hard times and many privations. In the colonies they have risen to influence and opulence, and have become men of consideration and importance. Here their children are growing up around their own firesides, it is here they intend to live and die, and it a national spirit did not grow under such circumstances, we do not know what could promote it.

" 'lis still the patriot's boast, wherever he roam, His first, best country always is at home.''

Lord Carrington proposes to encourage this patriotic feeling, and to cease interfering with Australians in matters relating to Chinese, New Guinea, and so on. He is perfectly right. The day is not far distant when colonists will insist on English statesmen minding their own business, and ceasing to ■ interfere in Australian matters. Then Lord Carrington talks about conferring the title of Lords oo colonial chief justices, opening the Privy Council to colonial statesmen,and flattering the yanity of our great men generally. This is a matter to which the mass of the people are quite indifferent, further than that they will not look with favor on any of themselves being slighted. We may dislike a man politically in this colony, but we cannot tolerate a slight being offered to him just because he happens to be a colonist. Mr Rolleston, for instance, is entitled to be called the Honorable Mr Kolleston in this colony, but if he were to go to England he would not be so styled. This distinction was made recently by the present lory Government of England. The sons of the English nobility are entitled to be styled the Honorable so and bo, and they were afraid that if they tolerated the colonial title it would lead to confusion. The intellectual colonist who won his title by his own energy and ability must give way to " tenth transmitted of a foolish face." Democratic as we are, we think this an unwarrantable attempt to brand colonists as an inferior race of men. How can England ask us to be loyal when the moment we set our foot on her soil, ahe degrades us in this way ? Why should not a title which holds good in one part of the empire, not hold good throughout all of it? To refuse to recognise a colonial title in England is tantamount to regarding the colonial as a foreigner. It is nonsense, calculated to alienate the colonies from England. England it appears, thinks that the colonies ought to remain loyal whatever way they may be treated. That, too, is nonsense, and England will find it out some day. If the Imperial Government wish to attach the colonies to Great Britain more closely than at present, the way to do it is : First, let the Imperial Government guarantee our debentures, and reduce our rate of interest to 2£ per cent. That it can easily do. Second, let England give preference to colonial produce in her markets, by protecting them from competition with the goods of other nations. Third, let us hava the same number of hours of work and the game remuneration for labor in all I parts of the Empire; let ua see that J we are all " parts of one harmonious I

whole," and very soon we shall be united together by the bonds of selfinterest. It is absolutely nonsense to expect that we shall be held together by any other bonds; self-interest is the predominating sentiment, and it is that only which will keep the Empire from falling asunder.