AUSTRALIAN ANNIVERSARY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 189, 3 May 1860, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ANNIVERSARY.

On the 26th January, about 150 gentlemen connected with Australasia, dined together in London to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the foundation of the British colonies in that part of the world. Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, late Superintendent of the Canterbury province, and now a member of our Executive Council, was in the chair. In one of his speecliqsJie remarked, that a change would need soon to be made in the nature of the connection of these colonies with the mother country, that they must be represented in the British House of Parliament, or in some central seat of authority, by men sent up by themselves, otherwise, in course of time, they might erect themselves into independent kingdoms. Mr. S Donaldson, late Chief Secretary of New South Wale 3, enlarged on the progress of the Australian colonies, “ which now contributed £30,000,000 annually to the wealth of the mother country, while the other colonies only contributed £10,000,000.” It would appear that in 1858, while the exports of England to Russia were £2,724,609 ; to France £4,863,131; to Austria, £1,298,199; and to Prussia, £1,956,199; the exports to .Victoria were £5,417,601; and to New South Wales, £2,919,544. The estimated net quantity of gold exported from Australia, from . May 1,85 Tito Dec. 1858, is 19,602,640 ounces, of the value of £74,460,094 18s.

Lord Stanley said, that—He observed a great similarity between the working of /the constitutional principle in the Australian colonies and in the mother eountry. There were the same ministerial crises occurring about once a year, and creating no excitement beyond those who were immediately affected. (A laugh.) There were the same large promises made upon the hustings, and the same complaints of those promises being broken afterwards in the house. (“ Hear, hear,” and laughter.) And as a further proof of uniformity, they* saw in the colonies, as in the mother country, a state of things in which public opinion was all powerful in public affairs —a atate of things in which no public wrong could take place without a remedy, and in which anything like continued abuse on the part .of any government was impossible. He could not, however, conceal from his own mind, that the relations of those colonies to the mother country must necessarily go through a certain and regular Course. First there was the relation of the government by the mother country —then came free government, but under the protection of-the mother country—aud lastly, there must eome, he would not say separation, for that did not represent the fact, but the relation of a close, an intimate, and an equal alliance. (Cheers.) He trusted that the experiment of self-government now proceeding in our Australian colonies would succeed, because the result would be, not only to benefit the people of Australia, but to strengthen our own free institutions at home, and to induce their imitation abroad, and in the conflict of opinion that was throughout the world to add one more, to the list of triumphs of Parliamentary government, popular representation, and well ordered freedom. (Cheers.) Sir J. Pakington remarked of the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary for the Colonies, that—he had gained golden opiuions. He believld that no man ever held the seals of office wlo was more anxious to meet the colonists iii a generous spirit. Among the other, speakers wore Admiral Fitzroy, Mr. Chichester Fortescue (Under Secretary of State for the Colonies), Lord

Mooteagle, Earl Carnarvon, Mr. Justice Thierry (who represented New South Wales), and Mr. J. L. Foster, representing Victoria.