The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, NOV. 21, 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3020, 21 November 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, NOV. 21, 1891.

liiiu.ll .ir.il cx.ul justice to .ill men, Of whatsoever statu nr persuasion, religious or pr.litir.il.

Tiie heads, is telegraphed, of Lord Carrington's speech at Bristol give us tho first intimation that the relations of the colonies to the Old Country are to be used as one of the political cries by the Liberal pui't v at the next general election in the United Kingdom. This is quite a new departure; until within quite recent years th; party to which Lord C'arrington belongs was very indiHerein as to inaiut'ianiing the connection at all. He ha>, however, brought forward a question which will have to be decided sooner or Inter—the direct representation of the colonies in the Imperial Parliament, It is tolerably manifest that in that Parliament as at present constituted no adequate and practicable means of giving representation to the colonies could be dovised. The allueions he makes to the refusal to allow troops to remain in the colonies on colonial pay as being considered a grievance at tliia end of the world in most dis-

t.incflv an oxagoetMUon of public ot>iniriii ; and, if tho wim Ii is no iiiisinforproti'd hitu, he has put. an entirely wroni; complexion ii:,n!i ilir facts connected with tin- contribution of the colonies to the auxiliary fleet. The Colonial Office in no sense forcerl the contribution : it

wis voted by the different i.'arlianients from a sense tli.it ".e ou«ht to bear some portion of tho coat of protecting our own shores and commerce, the wholo of which had hitherto fallen upon the English taxpayers. It was felt that we required more protection than we could reasonably aslc from tho Imperial (iovernment under the circumstances ; and, in consequence, we offered to partially maintain a certain number of additional vessels, the tirst cost of the vessels to he borne by tho Imperial Government. It is news to us that colonials have felt at all sore at tho insistance that the Admiral of the fleet should takoprecedenceof coloniul Governors —in fact, most reasonable men felt the necessity that the Admiral in the event of hostilities should be untrammelled in his action by any Governor. Lord Carrington appears to have got somewhat hysterical when he stated that "Continual flaunts, eers and meddling with colonial sympathies must be atan end for ever." He from having held the position of Governor may be cognisant of such doings on the part of tho Colonial Office. In the days long past there was certainly a want of consideration for the susceptibilities of the colonial people, but that mode of treating them lias long been abandoned. On the question of Federation, for instance so careful was the present Government not to offend by interference, that their refusal to move in the matter was much condemned at the time. Lord Carrington made a statement which will come as a surprise to every man who roads political literature, we mean as regards the desires of the Liberal party as distinguished from these of the Conserattves. We quote the sentence as telegraphed : —-"The Times maintained the divine right of the English in England to rule the Empire while the Liberals maintained the political equality of Euglish everywhere because the English democracy built the colonies and the loyalty of the latter was assured. This statement has certainly never been supported so far as we can remember by the utterances of any Liberal political leader. If therefore, Lord Carrington's statement i 3 to be accepted as anything more, than pre-el«ctoral license, it only amounts at the most to a shadowy promise of what they will endeavour todo when they once more occupy the Ministeral benches. Lord Carrington does not appear to have given any sketch of the means he proposes to adopt to give representation to the colonies, and a voice in the policy which guides the Empire for weal or woe. As we have before pointed out, no system will be deemed satisfactory by the colonies which does not give thorn a voice equivalent in power to their populations relatively to that of the whole empire. In return for this wo believe that the colonies would not object to contribute their proportiouate share to tho cost of defouco of the Etnpirn. If Lord Carrington and his party can indicate a practicablo means of bringing this about, thoy will have done more than any body of men have yet done to bind the different divisions of the Empire together, with a silken chord that shall be so strong that the united forces of other peoples would be unable to strain it to the point of fracturo. This means most unquestionably the yielding up by the Imperial Parliament of much of its power, and handing it over to those who at tho present time are parts of the Empire, yet, without power to turn tho policy of its governors one jot either to the right or left, Thoy must benefit or suffer by that policy but are powerless to influence it. It is manifest that thoro must bo a termination to this state of affair 3 or disruption must even- < tuate. Lord Carrington and his party will do no good by using the colonies as handles upon which to hang recriminations. If tho leaders of the Liberal party have a scheme let them divulge it; if thoy are not prepared to do this to the extent of sketching in the outlines, they have no right to claim support ou the grounds of a sentiment which so far as past events show is yet in the clouds, or, exists only in the brain of Lord Carrington himself.