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Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2885, 10 January 1891, Page 2

Ix another column we publish a length}' extract from the papers by Dr. Barry, which appeared in the Nineteenth Century, for November, on " The Loyalty of the Colonies." The right reverend gentleman has put the case well and truly, and his statements will be endorsed by the great majority of readers who have taken tho trouble to guage public opinion ou the question. He very truly points out that there can only be two results from the present position of affairs, he writes : " As tho colonies grow —as the proportion of tho inhabitants of Great Britain outside the old country increases, as it certainly will do—the only possible alternatives of federation or separation, of closer union ex fatal disintegration, will be more and moro plainly forced upon us." He goes ou to point out that tho day of small nationalities has past, and as he says in another portion of his article, separation for oven the federated groups of colonies in America, Australia, and Africa, would be the choice of comparative littleness in place of a share in greatness. The lost is, of course, only an appeal to the pride and selfishness of the colonists, and it would have been better had the writer pointed out more forcibly that, outside self-interest, there is an over-whelming , sentiment of loyalty to the constitution that would have more weight in deciding between closer ties or separations than any feeling of self-interest. In our issue of the 22nd November we pointed out "thetime is fast approaching when it will be absolutely necessary that the colonies shall have a voice in the Imperial policy, in other words that there shall be federation in the fullest sense between the Mother Country and her colonies, the children are growing too old and independent to be led as regards the foreign policy of tho Empire in any direction that the Ministry may decide upon. They naturally feel that as they may benefit or suffer by that policy they have a right to a proportional voice in determining what that policy should he. The question to be solved is as to the process by which representation is to be grunted. There is only one way by which this can be managed, that is to carry local self-govern-ment to its logical conclusion, with an Imperial Parliament to bind the I divisions together and direct the relations to the federated Empire with other powers." Dr. Barry practically endorses our opinion. Our excuse for quoting from our own columns, is the importance of the question being considered carefully by the public, in order that they may be prepared to aid by their voices and influence the statesman who takes the initiative to bring about that which will shortly become an absolute necessity if the disruption of the Empire is not to become a fact.