Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9154, 8 September 1888, Page 4

There are fiery spirits who, if left to their ways, would try to embroil America and England over the Canadian Fisheries question. To such a rupture the solid force of good feeling of all the best in the British Empire and the American Republic is opposed and that it never will occur under any circumstances.in the after history of the Anglo-Saxon race we confidently believe. All the same a firm hand will require to be applied by the British Government to Canada if the bump, tiousness of the Dominion is not goiir' to lead to mischief. And that" firm hand is foreshadowed in the intimation of the Prime Minister of England to the Canadian Government that in this matter it must act with caution ; and on that Government resenting the advice the warning is significantly given that Canada is not to act without the sanction of the Imperial Parliament. To all who feel an interest in the welfare of the British Empire, meaning, thereby the colonies as well as the United Kingdom, gratification should be afforded by the indication of a firmer policy on the part of the Imperial Government in dealing with Colonial Governments than lias ruled heretofore. Like petted children the colonies everywhere have been from time to time exhibiting a pendancy that is somewhat humiliating from its silliness, and unfortunately they have been only humoured in- this by the Imperial Government in deference to a species of kindly sentimentalism that lias become the rage in England. This kind of sentiment has been too unsubstantial and unreal to last, and the warning to Canada to be careful what she does is an intimation that the Empire is not going to be dragged into war by the intemperate procedure of any its members. If Canadian Ministers have the spirit of bravado of some of our Australian Ministers, they will express themselves as intending to teach England a lesson, and America too, in the same way as the other day the Government of New South Wales was going to treat England and China. Face to face with the United States, and with England standing aside, Canada, with her four or five millions against sixty or seventy millions, would present about as strong a front as New South Wales with its million of people would to the four hundred millions of China. It is proper at times to look at the matter of colonial fractiousness in this practical light, in order that we may learn the duty of behaving ourselves becomingly. With the Fisheries question the rest of _ the Empire have very little to do, but it has a perfect right to insist that it be not made a Question involving trouble with the United States which we should all be obliged to feel; and the Marquis of Salisbury is acting in the interests of New Zealand as well as England in peremptorily telling Canada that she must not attempt to play a lone hand. This Fisheries question is a very paltry one, involving neither honour nor glory nor principle, but simply selfishness and greed. It affects the fishermen who catch the fish and a few fishmongers and other traders who deal in fish, and whose national principles appear to be fishy, inasmuch as they appear to be controlled by considerations mainly of their personal interests in the catching of fish, and whether they are Canadians or Americans is a matter of no concern to anybody but themselves, if it even concerns themselves except in as far as it gives limitations to their fishing grounds. What should the Empire care where they catch the fish Hie fish move according to their fancy, now to the Canadian side and now to the American, and are no more Blue nose than they are Yankee ; and if the fishermen go after them, and catch them on either side of the central line, it is all one to the Empire. For a Question like this to embroil the Empire in trouoio -would be ludicrous indeed; and it shouiu \yp, gratifying to every subject of Her Majg&oj- to oec that the Imperial Government has put its foot firmly down, and told Canada to consult the interests of the Empire, or accept the responsibility.