A—B.

6

question was the result of accident; and that, in each case, what was meant was merely to prohibit Colonial legislation inconsistent with Her Majesty's Treaty engagements. This supposition is borne out by the fact, that the first opposition to the Colonies making reciprocal arrangements was based upon the ground that such arrangements would be opposed to some of the conditions of Treaties between Great Britain and foreign countries. The Legislature of New Zealand holding strongly that there would not be such opposition, passed a Reciprocity Bill, which was reserved by the Governor for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure. Upon careful inquiry, it was found that the view taken by New Zealand was correct; that the reserved Bill did not contain anything in conflict with the foreign Treaties of Great Britain ; and, therefore, that legally, so far as New Zealand was concerned, there was no obstacle in the way of the desired legislation. But inasmuch as a Colony cannot reciprocate with itself, New Zealand's legislation was necessarily fruitless, unless other Colonies were relieved of their disabilities. The question therefore is—"Whether the Australian Colonies shall be shut out from powers which New Zealand possesses, which the British American Provinces have for a long time exercised, and which it is to be assumed, the Australian Colonies did not receive through their Constitution Acts, only because somebody supposed that such legislation would conflict with Imperial Treaty obligations, which supposition, after careful investigation, has been found not to be warranted ? In another form, the question is—Whether, on account of a new Imperial policy, an accidental disability, affecting only some of the Colonies, shall be continued and confirmed, to the injury of them all ? A new policy has not grown up in the Colonies. They are as loyal and true to the Empire as when their Constitution Acts were granted ; and the powers they all seek are asked for in a spirit which is in no sense hostile to the Empire, and which has not grown out of any feeling which can be construed into evidence of a desire to weaken the connection, or render less friendly the relations, between the Colonies and the Mother Country. Julius Vogel. Wellington, 15th November, 1872.

APPENDIX. I. Sib,— Foreign Office, 11th November, 1865. I have laid before the Earl of Clarendpn your letter of the 7th instant and its enclosures, relative to the measures proposed by the Government of Canada for the extension of the commercial relations of the British North American Provinces with the British and Spanish West Indies, and with Mexico, Brazil, and other countries, and I am to request that you will state to Mr. Secretary Cardwell that his Lordship concludes that, as regards foreign countries, the agents who may be sent from the British North American Colonies will not assume any independent character, or attempt to negotiate and conclude arrangements with the Governments of foreign countries, but will only, as proposed by the seventh resolution of the Confederate Council on Commercial Treaties as regards negotiations with the United States, enclosed in Lord Monck's Despatch No. 185, of the 23rd of September, be authorized to confer with the British Minister in each foreign country, and to aft'ord him information with respect to the interests of the British North American Provinces. A similar process has been adopted in various negotiations for commercial treaties in which Her Majesty's Government have recently been engaged with foreign Powers; and Lord Clarendon, on receiving from Mr. Cardwell copies of the instructions given to the Colonial delegates, will be ready to authorize Her Majesty's Minister at Madrid as regards the Spanish West Indies, and Her Majesty's Ministers on the continent of America, to communicate with these Colonial delegates, and, in the first instance, to assist them in their inquiries as to what openings there may be for extending the trade of the British Colonies, and afterwards to ascertain how far any overtures for that object would be likely to be well received by the Government to which those Ministers are accredited. Having thus obtained grounds for further proceedings, Her Majesty's Government might in the next place consider, in communication with the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade, how far any proposals might be made to foreign countries in behalf of the Colonies, consistently with the general Treaty engagements of the British Crown ; and, this point being satisfactorily ascertained, instructions might be framed in this country for Her Majesty's Ministers in the countries in question, and full powers issued to them by Her Majesty, under which they would endeavour to bring into the shape of international engagements such arrangements as might be ultimately considered acceptable, not only to the Colonies themselves, but also to the foreign Powers with whom they were contracted. I have, &c, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office. E. Hammond. II. (Confidential.) The Minister of Finance, to whom has been referred the Despatch of His Grace the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, under date 24th July, 1868, transmitting a copy of a letter from the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council for Trade, on the subject of the admission of certain articles (under the provision of the recent Customs Act of the Dominion of Canada) duty free, from the British American Provinces not included in the Dominion, and on the power reserved by the same Act to admit the like articles, when the growth and product of the United States, either duty free or on reciprocal terms, so soon as the United States shall provide for the importation thereof on corresponding terms into the United States —has the honor to report:—• The first of these objects has been already fully discussed by the undersigned, in a report which he had the honor of laying before, and which was approved of by His Excellency in Council, on the 13th January last.