Earl Carnarvon on Imperial Federation.

Evening Star, Issue 7406, 29 December 1887, Page 2

Earl Carnarvon on Imperial Federation.

We reproduce from the ‘ Argus ’ tho speech delivered by Earl Carnarvon at the banquet given to him on tho 9th inst. by members of tho Victorian Legislature It is but a few weeks since I first touched these shores, and yet it seems to me to be a long time when I think how many friends I shall leave behind me, —(Hear, hear.) Some were old friends, whom I have known tor many years; others were friends whom I have had the honor to make; others were friends, again, whom I know by name, and with whom I had been brought into contact by old official intercourse,; and, last, not least—may I be allowed to say so—is my friend on my right, Her Majesty’s representative—(loud applause) —who so well fills that eminent position, and to whose great and undeviating kindness I owe so much of the happiness of the last few weeks.—(Applause. ) Gentlemen, I have, as His Excellency truly said, twice had the honor, within a very short time, of dining witliift the stately walls of this great hall; and I can hardly find words to express my high sense of the honor which this evening I receive in being the guest of the two Houses of Parliament. I have been born and nurtured in Parliamentary traditions. I hold that a free Parliamentary life is one of the noblest spheres which has been allotted to man’s action, and the honor which tho two great Houses of Victoria this evening have done me is an honor greater than, perhaps, any that I have ever met in my past life.—(Applause. ) Gentlemen, a very few weeks must pass and I must leave the shores of Australia ; but you may be sure of this, that I carry with me, as the Speaker has said, many memories of great towns, of high agricultural development, of noble institutions founded and maintained with an almost princely generosity, of the existence of great things, of the promise of still greater.—(Applause.) Sir, what can I say, but in the words of the Latin poet, Dii tibi dent annos, mm de tc castors senses. “ May the gods grant you but long life, for all other gifts are in your possession.”— (Applause.) The last time that it was my privilege to speak in this hall, I ventured to touch upon the change which has taken place in your relations with the Mother Country—the passing from mere local to Imperial, and In a certain sense to a share of foreign, duties,—(Applause.) Sir, I little thought at that time, when I used the illustration with regard to the New Hebrides, how speedily that illustration would take a practical form. I trust that what we have seen stated in the public Press may not receive ultimate confirmation—(hear, hear)—for I had hoped, indeed, that that treaty to which I then alluded was tho end—the complete end—of the controversy. I had hoped that that Treaty would be carried out. not merely in the letter, but in the spirit.—(Hear, hear.) I speak, sir, with all reserve; but yet, If there be truth in that telegram to which we have seen allusion, then I venture to speak in the name of all that is best in England—l would almost venture to speak in the name of tho statesmen of both sides of Parliament—(applause)—and to assure this great assembly of their sympathy, and, as far as possible, their cooperation. (Loud applause.) And I am persuaded that my noble friend, the Prime Minister, whilst he uses all that courtesy which diplomatic form obliges, will at the same time make it clearly understood what is the just and unconquerable repugnance on the part of the Australian colonies to subject themselves to the maintenance or renewal of this accursed abomination.—(Loud and continued applause.) Sir, I have said that on the last occasion I ventured to touch on tho relations of England and these colonies in their foreign point of view. May I be allowed to turn to that other and cognate question which Mr Speaker alluded to, when he referred to a closer union in domestic matters ? Mr Speaker used the word “ federation.” I well remember that in tho Conference of last summer objection was taken by some of the colonies and by many statesmen to any discussion on that important question, and I tbirk wisely it was so.—(Hear, hear.) Time and circumstances were not then ripe—(hear, hear)—and for myself I have always avoided, if I may be allowed the expression, urging ambitious or cut-and-dried schemes. (Applause). I have rather wished to see the affection of the Mother Country and the colonies dwelt upon. I have wished to see England feel more and more pride and sympathy in the progress of Australia (applause) and Australia, on the other band, to understand not only how great her heritage is in the past history of England, but also.how great is her interest in a closer union.—(Applause). If these proportions be accepted, then I, for my own part, have no fears as to the rest. All will flow easily and naturally. It may take more time than some ardent spirits desire, but let me remind you that slow growth has been the main element and principle of the English Constitution (hear, hear)—and things do not grow worse because they grow slowly. Sir, it is not that I am insensible in any way to the value of a closer union in form as well as in sentiment. I am persuaded of the importance of many questions where a joint action for common purposes is not only desirable, but is all but necessary. It was my personal good fortune to be allowed, when I held the seals of office as a much younger man, to take some part in the confederation of the great Dominion of Canada ; and I look back upon that act with sincere pleasure.—(Applause.) It was my fortune many years after that to visit that Dominion itself, and in one sentence I can only assure this great assembly how great was my pleasure when I saw old divisions removed, old jealousies extinct; when I saw patriotism the prevailing sentiment of the whole country, with an unlimited devotion to the person and tho cause of the Crown.—(Applause.) But, sir, in speaking of this closer union,, may I bo allowed to say there are certain conditions which must force themselves upon our mind. Firstly, confederation is in itself a very elastic, and, perhaps, sometimes a misleading term.—(Hear, hear.) There are different forms, as we all know—there are different forms of federation; and I say honestly, God forbid that any federation should ever bo thought of here which should extinguish or obliterate the splendid individualities of your great colonies.—(Loud applause.). And, secondly, federation must in my mind be the distinct .outcome of tho public wish.—(Hear, hear.) It cannot be put into a forcing-house.—(Hear, hear.) Sir, England has given to these great colonics, in their fullest amplitude, a complete measure of self-government—(ap-plause)—and it would be illogical ahd unworthy were she to extend that privilege on the ope hand and, withhold it on tho other. .She has given these powers, and within tho limits of these powers she bids you freely use them.; and I think I may say, without fear of misconstruction, that whatever may be the, charges laid to the English Government from Home in former years, of late years, at least, she has given proof of an nnjealous and an unselfish disposition. 1 think when—to use one single illustration out of many—she bade you exercise your powers, even, if you pleased, in the taxing of her own goods, she could hardjy givp a more distinct pledge of her sincerity.— (“Hear, hear,” and laughter.) But, sir, it must not be merely sentiment on which any closer formal union with England must. be.based. It must also have the distinct sanction of interest. Unless all parties can feel, as I believe they will feel, that it is for the interests of both— the permanent, the deep, the unquestioned interests of both that they should be united by a closer bond—unless they can feel that federation would be simply playing with tho word, and would lead us into great and profound difficulties. Those who sit round this table, and; as Mr Speaker truly and eloquently said, have come from the Old Country, bringing with them the recollections of Home, the traditions of Parliamentary life in that distant land; may appeal, pjffhaps, by {; the sole .tie qf- sentiment. Bat?we must never forget that there is a younger generation growing, up, qnd though we desire-that they shpuld stilHook upon England as the old home frbm'which the ancienfj stock came—though - we desire that they, should* feel, the same ardent affection, it ; is but natural, it is but certain,’that we must be able to show them also that any scheme is for their permanent and unquestioned interest.—(Cheers.) There Are/many things’ that are good which yet lose their virtue if. they are prematurely grasped at. But then I: have sometimes heard it said that this closer 'union frill in'tholbng .run.mean separation. I entirely disbelieve that. —(Cheers.) Sir, the same argument, I well remember, Was uspd with regard to.responsible government whori it was given. ' Has responsible govern ment weakened the tie between the Mother, Country and*!he coldnibs ’“Nwj^)And when roVerting toGshada aWja .further liru'stratton, federation wad her in addition to responsible government; federation 1 simply tightened the bonds, increased

(be loyalty, sod brought them into closer connection with the Old Country.—(Cheers.) I might, indeed, so one step further, and say that as the political scope Is enlarged, so> statesmanship often grows with it; as the: political horizon widens, so views broaden ; and as power comes, so also comes the sense: of responsibility in the use of it May E once more revert as an illustration toCanada? She stands in. a very peculiar position. She stands side by side to a greatand powerful though most friendly nation. —(Hear, hear.) And from time to time, with the best will on either side, questions of controversy necessarily will arise, and have arisen. Sometimes these questions have been burning, and yet I can truly say that such has been the temper, and the forbearance, and tin readiness to co-operate with the Imperii I Government on the part of the Dominion cf Canada, that these difficulties have melted away, and I for one have been thankful that we have been dealing with them, and not independently of them. Sir, the future of the world is a very uncertain one, and anyone who looks upon the troubled face of Europe at this moment must fee) and know bow uncertain is the state of nations. Mechanicians tell us that there are two forces in operation—one which attracts to the centre and the < titer which repels from the centre. I trust that.the force which influences English and colonial relations will be that which attracts to the centre. And if, indeed, England and her colonies really hold together, who is there that could put any limits to the dream of Imperial greatness and power ? (Cheers.) Who Is there, indeed, that will say even that is a dream ? Blue books and columns of statistics are _ not generally, I think, calculated to inspire a feeling of romance, and yet when I read the calculations of statisticians as to the numerical growth of the English Empire 1 feel that there is almost a romance and a poetry in the whole afiiair. We have no donbt diverse nations—and they have been but diversified and enriched—but after all the stock and stem are of the old English blood that have come from that small island in the north sea, which has put forth its swarms of young colonies into every climate, and over every ocean, and claimed from them itt return simply this and nothing else—their loyalty and their affection, (Cheers.) There was indeed a moment, rather more than one century ago, when the historian might have said that the vista of English power was almost unlimited. The Indian Empire had begun to grow; Canada had been won; America was still ours; the Bock of Gibraltar bad been taken; the West Indie» had been captured; the English fleet in every part of the world rode triumphant. And then in a few years the folly of a ruler, and the unwisdom of Parliament, miserably threw away the thirteen colonies of America'.Sir, it has’pifiMed the Great Disposer of all events to redress in a certain measure that great catastrophe. It has pleased Him to repair the waste places, and to allow ns to build up the breaches in the old building. The Cape has been won, India has been constituted as a mighty empire, and Australia has been added. And yet though all this has been done, though 100 years have passed away, the sting of that unhappy separation has hardly yet been totally effaced, I thank God when I think that there is a growth of feeling one* more between the United States and England. —(Prolonged cheers.) And those statesmen have my heartiest good wishes and thanks who labor to _ restore the union between the two nations. And yet, sir, I never can, in my own mind, cease to regret the past. I never can help thinking how splendid and bow unassailable the strength of the Anglo-Saxon race would have been had that fatal separation never taken place. It was said more than 2,000 years ago that there is bat one thing which the immortal gods cannot do, and that is to undo the past—the irrevocable past—but there is also one thing which wise men have it always in their power to achieve, and that is to learn to profit by experience.—(Cheers.) There has never been, I suppose, since the foundation of the world such an Empire as « that of England at the present day, whether you look at its population or its wealth, or at the strange interruptions and divisions in its geographical conformation—ocean and seas flowing in between the several parts; and in the Conference that so happily sat last summer in London, 1 think an honest attempt was made to bridge over those spaces, to reconcile those differences, and to unite ns all in one single bond of sentiment and action.—(Cheers.) And that endeavor was in a very great measure crowned by success—a success which many o i ns had not even ventured to dream of. And yet, sir, that is not to be measured by the mere success which was then achieved. I look to that Conference not merely for tho great things that it did, nor even for the great things which it excited yon Australian colonies to do a fortnight since, but I look to it because I view it as a precedent in the long chain of future intercourse between the two parts of the Empire. I look upon it as a proof patent to the whole world that Englishmen, though they live separated 15,000 miles apart, will yet, as occasion requires, meet, confer, and agree upon the common weal in accordance with their own interests, and in accordance also with the great mission which 1 hold this Empire has still to discharge.—Cheers.) God grant that this may last, that this may grow, that this may gain strength from year to year, and that that mighty dominion we ore now possessed of we may hand down in unchecked strength and even in yet fuller proportion to our children’s children.— (Prolonged cheers.)