CHRISTCHURCH MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2705, 1 January 1872, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.

Tsist Friday evening'the question was discusfed*l3 it desirable for New Zealand to *n?ifiret »te power ia the world. There Ste afhoxne * limited ianiber tfnnon whodTploralsach and_wish to wn ortepiorc colonies, and recommeM a-universal par-

their &wk, injorder to their becoming great nations, |worsiy of the country from which they fiprdng. [Seeing, then, that colonial indepenienfe was desirable and inevitable, he went in tf , eiiquire what period in the history o! t|e colony would be the most favorable iw this to come- about. -It was certain uo coutitrj Wiis fit for independent exie ence, unless eatable of carrying on its own internal govffnnient. New Zealand fulfils this But the question of ability to defend ffomforeign aggression required to be quailed, for no European power even could be cdrtaJ' l °f success against every possible combination of other powers. Therefore this colonf should not, as a necessary condition fdir obtaining independence, be expected to sfro«v strength sufficient to repel every mva?ioa within the range of possibility. It should be restricted to probability. If we were Independent, the likelihood would be removed almost altogether, as far as regards the great powers, yet we should be able to do something in a smaller way. But while we retoain a part of Great Britain her enemies art oars, and we must be at their mercy whenever they attack us, for we cannot defend ourselves againstsuch foes, neither could England protect us, for when the shock of war comes she will be bound to concentrate her strength nearer home and the scene of action, and it will require an ifort for her to spare convoys along the great highways of commerce. The question was then looked at from an Imperial point of view, and it was stated that the possession of these colonies is a source of weakness to the mother country— a perpetual embarrassment to the British Cabinet in thfeir relations with the other powers ; for the impossibility of really defending us in case of her going to war makes it necessary ; for her to shrink from steps which it might otherwise be in duty bound ttf take in her own interests, as well as iv the case of other countries, which may justly iook to her for sympathy aud succour on the highest grounds; and the other nations, knowing the causa of her hesitation, do not fail to follow up their advantage. He concluded a long address by ehowing that this is the most favorable time. For it would be folly to wait until, the foe is at our doors; and apart from this, another spirit may come over the British people, and instead of offering our independence, they may, upon the strength of sovereignty, commence exactions of some kind or another which would result in violent disruption, entailing an unnatural bitterness, as in the case of America, which even a century had not removed. The speakers who followed were nearly all opposed to the opener, and after the reply and a few remarks by the chairman, the meeting terminated at a rather later hour than usual.

The essay next Friday evening will be on " The Memory."