Evening Post. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1897. THE PREMIERS AND THE JUBILEE.

Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 20, 23 July 1897, Page 4

Evening Post. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1897. THE PREMIERS AND THE JUBILEE.

The work and the junkettingof the Colonial Premiers at Home is practically over. The great Jubilee demonstration of Imperial wealth, Imperial unity, and Imperial loyalty is soon to become a mere historical phenomenon. Mr. Chamberlain's Conference, ushered in with loud blasts of rheiorical wind instruments, has passed "out iv a sort of impotent sigh. What, then, we may reasonably ask, is the result of all the display and all the talk upon the relations between the Motherland and her offspring?' So far as the Premiers themselves are concerned, Mr. Eeid, alone almost, seems to have had sufficient strength of mind and depth of conviction to speak the true centiments of our sturdy Australasian freemen.' No sumptuous banquets or honeyed blandishments have drawn from him even a halfhearted, formal assent when he felt that Australia would say " No." We are sorry that the same cannot be said for all of his now Right Honourable colleagues. ' Our own Premier, alas ! in spite of his assertive Liberalism and truculent self-reliance, has bowed with lowly mien at the shrine of Imperialism. He has apparently talked Imperial Federation and oolonial loyalty to curry favour with the Home folk, much as he used to talk Socialism and Democracy to gain the ear of our labouring classes. He expressed a disposition to favour a much heavier defence outlay on the part of New Zealand, but, fortunately for the reputation he seeks with the electorate as an economical financier, he was overridden by the decision of his fellow-Premiers. He hinted at Imperial Councils, Zollvereins, &c, in a way which approached perilously near to a suspicion of betraying his country's freedom and interests. Thanks, however, in the main to the straightforward talk of Mr. Eeid. Mr. Seddon's HmD. after-

dinner truckling to fads in high, places has been a sort of discordant solo, too faint to drown the deep-toned harmony of stronger men. The visit of the colonial Premiers and the discussions with the Downing-street officials have certainly accomplished something. They have taught John Bull that his children are old enough to think and act for themselves, even upon matters touching the whole firm rather than their own local branches, and that unless he admits this arrival at years of discretion there is a danger of the dispersion and refounding of branches as independent businesses. The lesson is a very good one for the head of the firm, and if thoroughly driven home may prevent a considerable amount of future trouble, and may even help him to join all the branches yet more closely to the central office. The simple fact hap, we think, been very firmly impressed upon the home managers by Mr. Reid, and we are sorry that our own representative, upon the larger issues of the Conference, lias not loomed a" more conspicuous figure. Besides giving the Imperial Government an insight into the real position and sentiments of the colonies, recent discussions have also m a general way tended to bring out that vital identity of interests which unites the Empire in flexible but strong bonds more closely than political institutions or even uniform tariffs could. Of the particular questions discussed in London none received any definite shape, no proposals were drawn up which could be laid before the colonies by the Premiers. ' The most important of all, the question of commercial relations, apparently received no solution from Mr. Chamberlain, and our statesmen, with few exceptions, of which we are sorry to see the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon was one, carefully refrained from formulating any precise proposals.* There is a possibility of this Jubilee Conference leading to a sort of triennial or quinquennial meeting of colonial statesmen in London to discuss informally things which concern the Empire in its internal relations. Such a meeting would doubtless be of considerable value, and, without receiving any formal powers, might serve to smooth over some of the difficulties which arise between Downing-street and our local authorities. We do not think that the Premiers can feel that they have accomplished much beyond the " lay figure " and " pleasant talking" work of the celebration, but still we have no doubt Mr. Reid's plain words, and the general tone of the Premiers' speeches, will have had such an effect upon the mental attitude of Downing-street that it will know for all time that while the British colonies of this hemisphere will be ever ready to make any sacrifices to aid the Mother Country in her possible need, they can never surrender a tittle of that independence that is to us Home Rule.