Evening Post. FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1896. THE EMPIRE LEAGUE.

Evening Post, Volume LI, Issue 62, 13 March 1896, Page 2

Evening Post. FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1896. THE EMPIRE LEAGUE.

On Tuesday last Lord Salisburt, replying to the Empire League, said that though in accord with Mr. Chamberlain's oiroular to the colonies asking for returns of their foreign trade, he oonld not renounce the treaties with othor nations nntil there waß a definite prospect of increased trade for tbe Empiro. The League, he added, should urge ihecolonios to formulatea definite soheme for closer trade relations. Further, we were told that Mr. Lowi/kb, M.P. for Haggerston, will visit Australia in support of the League's proposals. Until the member for Haggerston snail have presented his oredentials, and formulated the proposals of the League, we oan but hazard oonjeotnre as to their nature, but it seems pretty oertain from the tenonr of the interview with the Premier that the Leaguers aim to differentiate in the oolonial markets between the things " made in Germany" and elsewhere and British manufactures. Be this as it may, tho general objeots and scope of the Empire League are fully set out in the English papers to hand yesterday , and form very interesting reading, particularly in relation to onterprising efforts of the " pushful" Colonial Minister to draw oloser onr oommeroial relations. The inaugural meeting of the League was held at the Mansion House, London, on the 29th January, under the Presidency of the Lord Mayor. It had previously been organised, pursuant to a resolution passod at a Conference held in London on 20th July, 1891, and at a farther meeting held at the Honse of Commons last May, Sir J. Lubbock, M.P., being Chairman. The objeots of the League are thus dogoribod :—: — "To seouro the permanent unity of the Empiro ; to promote trade between the United Kingdom, the colonies, and India ; to consider how far it may be possible to modify any la.ws or treaties whioh impede freedom of action in the making of reciprocal trade arrangements j to promote closer intercourse between the different portions of the Empiro by the establishment of ohoaper and more direct steam and telegraphio communication j to develop the principles on whioh all parts of the Empire may best share in its general defence ; and to assimilate as fat as poisible the laws relating to oopyright, patents, legitimacy, and bankruptcy throuHhont the Empire." This is a broad and liberal programme, in whioh there i« " business that may be said to bo within measurable dii>

tanca of accomplishment, and in this regard it betters the example of the Imperial b\ Federation League, whioh the ''Empiro" w succeeds. So practical and businesslike a soheme is probably owing to the faot that Sir R. G. W. Herbert ia one of the principal n . anthora of the movement, and Chairman of . its Council. This distinguished gentleman r may be said to know more of oolopial I* affairs than any official in Downingstreet. In the early sixties, then a polished and cultured young Englishman, g he came out to Queensland, whioh had t jnst been separated from New South t! Wales, the parent province. In the infant a oolony he was entrusted with the formation fe of its first Government, and as Premier a carried on the business of the oountry with I conspicuous success until he was offered j the post of Assistant Under-Seoretary at the Colonial Offioe in London. This position he accepted, and in no long < time beoamo Under-Secretary, filling that n offioe until his reoent retirement on pension i with the distinction that has characterised B all his work. We give theße particulars to »' show that with such a man at the head of ' the Counoil of the Empire League the colo- J nieß may rely that its work will not be J marred by meddlesome ignorance on the * part of any ornamental persons, who may * deaire to project themselves in English * "politios by affeoting a patronising interest J in the colonial welfare. Indeed, Sir Robt. J Herbert made this quite clear in seconding ■ the above resolution, whioh was proposed ' by fcir -John Ltibbock. " The officers ' of the League," said Sir Robert, " recognised that they must tread warily aud ( disoreetly the path before them if they were j to avoid giving offence. The colonies were , very sensitive of anything like the assump- j tion of a dictatorial tone on the part of such , an organisation. The League did not intend to offer to instruct the brilliant statesman ■ who presided over the Colonial Offioe aa to , how to aohieve that union of hearts he had , done so muoh to promote during his term oE J offioe. Nor did it intend to instruct , colonial statesmen. They desired to abstain altogether from raising political questions ; but in oommeroial matters such an organisation might be very useful." We oertainly oannot better this instruction, and mos heartily congratulate both the League and the colonies that the destinies of this new movement in the Old Country for the consolidation of the oommerce of the Empire is to be largely influenced by a man of the wide experience in colonial affairs and the proved capacity of Sir Robbrt Hbrbbbt.