THE COLONIES.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1484, 7 January 1882, Page 4

THE COLONIES.

At a dinner recently given at the London (Mansion House, the Duke of Manchester, replying to the toast of " The Lords," sa d : . " One army has been already toasted here to-night. I ha\ c to make allusion to what I will take the libeity of calling another army which has greatly served the Empire. It is not .m army which is obliged to attain its pnipos>' by inflicting wounds and death, or by appropriating provinces which already belong to a civilised race ; but it is an army which has added to the Emphv a dominion as magnificent as any portion of the realms over which your lloyal Highness in the course of nature will one day be called iipon to rule. (Hear hear). That army has accomplished great things ; it has peacefully conquered territory nearly equal in size to Europe. New Zealand itself is nearly as large as the United Kingdom. Sir George Bowen, since I came in to the Mansion House, has reminded me that Queensland is three times the size of the French Republic. (Cheers.) Perhaps your Royal Highness will allow me in a few words and with a few figures to give to this, assembly some idea of the magnificent territory of Australasia which I have lately visited. In size it is 3,181,059 square miles, and the gold it lias produced already amounts to £271,000,000 sterling. In the last year nearly £0,000,000 sterling have been produced. The imports for one year are £50,250,000, and the exports £44,000,000, and the shipping entered and cleared 7,000,000 tons. (Cheers.) There is one item which I must say is not so agreeable to English landlords — that is that Australasia has produced last year 32,000,000 bushels of wheat. As to its wool, it has beaten English wool altogether out of tin: maikot, both in amount and its vilue, which is £10,750,000. Not only have the coloni&ts clone so much, but as consumers they have benefited En dish manufacturers to an enormous extent. It is calculated that Australians and New Zealaudors per head-man, woman, and child—consume £8 10s worth of British goods, while France only consumes at the rate of 7« 8d par head, and the United States only at, the rate of 7s per head. (Clieens.) These aie tacts, .showing that, it for no other reason, there are very forcible financial reasons why wo should consolidate, encourage, and pro mote in every way the prospeiity of tho British colonies.