Our Agent-General.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3206, 29 May 1879, Page 2

Our Agent-General.

The Saturday Advertiser, in a notice of the article by Sir Julius Vogel in Time, referred to by us a few days ago, says :—

This article,.which takes the form of a conversation between " John Bull" and " Colonist," is, as might be expected, an exceedingly able one, and the conversational form is well fitted to bring out their arguments forcibly. It opens with a discussion regarding the Free Trade policy of England, in which" the colonist denounces what he calls doctrinaire Free, Trade; and from that the conversation leads to a -talk concerning England's colonial policy. The colonist boldly asserts that though the progress of the colonies has been greet, it is not what it would hare, been " had Great Britain in this generation been trueVtb; the colonising policy'" of preceding generations. He says, "the time came when the obstacles of distance were^dispersed;:and when capital and population would,baverapidly'brought the Colonies to the position of great nations. JJid you seize the opportunity. ?" he asks, and 1 1; once answers, ""A! thousand times no. ; You '■_ devoted yourselves^ to advancing foreign countries, anil 3lb J curry favour with them, you ostentatiously refused- to show to.jihe colonies any preference you did noli'accord to aliens:" Having thus told Johnjiull that lie has not done his duty in thTpaat, he points out what he should do in the future.

V You hare strong men starving here. There is robin for all in your colbniea—• can you not aid emigration? You would think nothing of spending millions to send armies forth. Can you not see the advantage of spending money which, besides bringing relief to those who go, and better chance of employment for thoae who remain, will convert the burden of over-population with whibh you part into consumers of the productions you export to the colonies ? T^T . . Bemember that, though the, colonies, want population, they are without it. ;JEour need to encourage emigration is greater than theirs to encourage immigration." * Besides this duty, Mr Colonist suggesta that England should provide for the representation of the colonies, and admit colonial imports on a better footing than those from foreign countries. 'But rtEe most immediately practical suggestion which he makes is advocating the appointfmentpf..a." ; B,oyal r , f Commisßioja charged with an examination into the relations subsisting between ; .,the| ?JM[pther, Chantry and the Colonies, and with making suggestiona for, improving those relations."