A.^Ko. 6 :

His Lordship grounds his second objection on reasons which do not appear to carry weight. First, he refers to a proposal of Lord Grey, who, while strongly disapproving of the present Colonial policy of Her Majesty's Government, suggests that, in any change of system, limitations should be placed upon the present powers of the self-governing Colonies. Of this proposal Lord Granville disapproves. Whatever may be Lord Grey's views on the subject, His Lordship will no doubt himself take occasion to explain them ; but we must remark that no proposal of this kind has emanated from any body of Colonists in England. Should any such suggestions be made, it would seem clear that the fitting body to consider them would be a Conference of Colonial Representatives, authorized by their respective Governments, and not, as Lord Granville assumes, the Secretary of State, acting upon his own, probably erroneous, impressions. Secondly, Lord Granville slates that " he has been informed that there exists considerable jealousy in the Colonies, of Colonists iu this country ;" a proposition which he supports by stating, as an additional fact, that " most of the principal Colonies have here either permanent or temporary agents." We must observe that, so far as we are aware, no Colonial Government has at the present time an agent in this country authorized to deal with political questions, such as those referred to in our circular. Lord Granville's remarks justly apply to the present Colonial Office system, under which irresponsible and unauthorized persons have undue facilities for obtaining the car of the Colonial Office, but it is of equal force as showing that there is no reluctance on the part of Colonial Governments to appoint authorized agents to represent them in this country. This was the ground on which the proposal was made for a Conference of Agents duly authorized by the respective Colonial Governments, instructed and empowered to deal with questions referred to them. Thirdly, His Lordship is of opinion that the interference of Colonial Representatives in affairs relating to other Colonies besides those in which they are immediately interested, " would bo unsatisfactory to the Colonies themselves, would embarrass the Minister, and diminish hia responsibility." So far as we may presume to offer an opinion upon a question which properly belongs to the Colonial Governments themselves, we are inclined to adopt His Lordship's view, but this would not constitute an objection to a plan under which the various Colonial Governments might communicate with the Imperial Government, through authorized agents, acting each on behalf of his own particular Colony in matters of purely local concern, and collectively in reference to matters affecting common interests. The consideration of such a plan would properly belong to a Conference of Colonial Eepresentatives in concert with Her Majesty's Government. As applied to the appointment of such a Conference, Lord Granville's objection is obviously futile. . i Fourthly, Lord Granville declares his opinion that the proper mode of communicating with the self-governing Colonies is " through the Secretary of State and Colonial Governors to the Colonial Governments." We understand by this that his Lordship is opposed to our mode of conducting official intercourse between the Imperial and Colonial Governments, except through the present channels ; a proposition which his Lordship illustrates by referring to the case of the transfer of the Hudson's Bay Settlement to the dominion of Canada, in reference to which his Lordship points out that " the transaction was one of great difficulty, and that the dominion of Canada sent over two of her statesmen to negotiate it." Transactions of difficulty are constantly occurring between Colonial Governments and the " Home authorities," and the course pursued in the case in question points clearly to the desirableness of establishing some general system of communication founded on a like principle. It seems indeed scarcely necessary to point out that, if Great Britain do;sires to preserve a paramount authority over the Colonies, measures must be taken for enabling them to impress their views and wishes upon the Imperial Government, and the British Parliament and public, better than those which at present exist. Nor can we imagine any better mode of considering plans for that object, than such a Conference as was proposed. We have noticed, we believe, all the objections raised by Lord Granville to the course proposed in our former circular. We turn to the broader questions raised by his Lordship's speech, but which were intentionally avoided by the deputation. His Lordship refers with great complacency to the satisfactory relations between the Colonies and the Imperial Government, and " the general confidence which they are believed to place in the Colonial Office." He denies, in fact, that the relations between the Imperial Government and the Colonies are unsatisfactory, or that any occasion exists for disturbing them, or changing in any way the present system of administration. We trust that we maybe pardoned for remarking that such an impression on his Lordship's mind appears to constitute in itself a cogent argument in favour of some change of system, by which the Colonial Office may be better informed as to the real state of Colonial affairs, and the temper of the Colonial mind. His Lordship does indeed refer to New Zealand as an exceptional case, as if general principles of policy affecting one Colony had no bearing upon others, and as if it were possible for the Imperial Government to adopt a policy calculated to detach one Colony from the Empire, without shaking the whole Colonial fabric. But it is notorious that a general feeling of disquiet exists in various other Colonies, particularly those from which it is intended to withdraw military and naval protection. The relations of the Confederated Provinces of the North American dominions are in an unsettled state ; open rebellion exists in one of them ; whilst in this country complaints are made of the present depression of trade, as attributable to Colonial tariffs over which the Colonial Office cannot exercise any influence; and the poorer classes of England are clamouring for schemes of emigration, which would be greatly

5

COLONIAL CONFERENCE IN LONDON.