New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4295, 25 December 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1874.

Tiie Dominion of Canada is fortunate in having, for its Governor-General, a nobleman of distinguished ability and fearlessness. Ho has lately returned from a tour of tho Western, province, and been entertained at a banquet by the Toronto Club, in the capital. His speech, upon that occasion, is a model for constitutional governors. Earl Dofferik is ono of those statesmen who have made their mark in tho world by doing their duty thoroughly and well, though in a quiet, unobtrusive way ; and his intimate knowledge of colonial affairs, acquired in tho practical field of Canadian politics, cannot fail to be of very great service to tho mother country, and her colonial emnires when he returns to take his place in tho House of Lords. Indeed, in many respects, the selection of governors of great colonies from tho ranks of the peerage, and gentlemen of political influence in England, as in some of tho recent Australasian appointments, has already borne good fruit, by counteracting the anti-co'onieing policy of the Manchester School. Tho experience of colonial institutions acquired by noblemen and leading commoners is not lost to tho State, as in tho case of men promoted from the ranks of the Civil Service, or appointed for some special reason, whoso experience necessarily becomes a more personal possession. It is in the arena of active politics in England that opportunities aro afforded of influencing tho colonial policy of tho parent State, of which men like Lord Duffekih and Sir James Ferousson are certain to avail themselves. Havingsaidthnsmuch, generally, we cannot refrain from qnotingaorno points of the very eloquent speech which Lord Doffeiun addressed to the members of the Toronto Club, and through them to tho Empire. His principal object appears to have been to the friendly relations between Great Britain and tho young nation which has sprung from her loins, and grown sturdily, side by side, with that older, but far stronger off-shoot, tho United States; and it is gratifying to find that wherever his Excellency went, ho was received by tho people—white men and red —with enthusiasm, as the representative of tho Quoon of England. Hut his main object appears to have boon to point out tho wonderfully contented character of tho population of tho Dominion,

for the purpose of inducing further emigration to Canada. Indeed, this object was openly avowed by him. He said ; For many years past I have been a strong advocate of emigration, in the interests of the British population. I believe that emigration is a benefit both to those that go and to those that remain, at the same time that it is the most effectual and legitimate weapon with which labor can contend with capital. I have written a book upon the subject, and have been very much scolded for wishing to depopulate my native country, but however strong an advocate of emigration from the English standpoint, I am, of course, a thousandfold more interested in the subject as theheaclof the Canadian Government. Of course lam not xmiposition,norisitdesirablethatl should take the responsibility, of saying anything on this occasion which should expose me hereafter to the reproach of having drawn a false picture or given delusive information in regard to the prospects and opportunities afforded by Canada to the intending settler. The subject is so serious a one—so much depends upon the individual training, capacity, health, conduct, and antecedents of each several emigrant —that no one without an intimate and special knowledge of the subject would be justified in authoritatively enlarging upon it; but this, at all events, I may say—wherever I have gone I have found numberless persons who came to Canada without anything, and have since risen to competence and wealth, that I have met no one who did not gladly acknowledge himself better off than on his first arrival, and that amongst thousands of persons with whom I have been brought into contact, no matter what their race or nationality, none seemed ever to regret that they had come here. This fact particularly struck me on entering the log huts of the : settlers in the more distant regions of the country. Undoubtedly their hardships had been very great, the difficulties of climate ami locality frequently discouraging, their personal privations most severe, yet the language of all was identical, evincing without exception, pride in the past, content with the present, hope in the future ; wiille combined with the satisfaction each man felt in his own success and the improved prospects of his family, there shone another and even a nobler feeling, namely, the delight inspired by the consciousness of being a coefficient unit in a visibly prosperous community, to whoso prosperity he was himself contributing. Of course these people could never have attained the position in which I found them without tremendous exertions. Probably the agricultural laborer who comes to this country from Norfolk or Dorsetshire will have to work a great deal harder than ever he worked in his life before, but if his work is harder he will find a sweetener to his toil of w’hich he could never have dreamt in the old country,, namely, the prospect of independence— of a roof over his head for which he shall pay no rent, and of ripening corn fields round his homestead, which own no master but himself. Let a man be sober, healthy, and industrious, let him come out at the proper time of tlie year, let him be content with small beginnings and not afraid of hard and I can scarcely conceive how' he should fail in his career. What Lord Dufferix has said of the Dominion of Canada is doubtless true, and it is certain to have very great weight in the United Kingdom, where it has been published and extensively circulated as perhaps the very best kind of emigration circular that could be issued. But all this and more might be said of New Zealand, whoso superiority of climate is unquestioned. Nay, more, the conditions of existence in this colony are immeasurably superior to those which obtain in Canada. Life is more enjoyable here. Wages are higher and the toil is lighter than in any part of North America. We are therefore specially fortunate in having, in the person of our late Governor, a gentleman who will not hesitate to set the advantages which this colony offers for settlement fairly and unreservedly before the British people. In this way, correct information will he disseminated, and greater interest doubtless be taken in the practical work of colonization by persons of influence at home. We cannot conclude our remarks without appending the following graphic description of the Dominion of Canada, at the present time, because it must interest everyone who reads it. Lord Dotfeiux said :

It is but a few short weeks since I left Toronto, and yet I question whether many born Canadians have ever seen or learnt more of the western half of the Dominion than X have during that brief period. Memory itself scarcely suffices to reflect the shifting vision of mountain, wood, and water, inland seas, and silver rolling rivers, golden cornlands, and busy, prosperous towns through which we have held our way ; but though the mind’s eye fail to ever again readjust the dazzling panorama, as long as life endures not a single echo of the universal greeting with which we have been welcomed will be hushed within our hearts. Yet deeply as I am sensible of the personal kindness of which I have been the recipient, proud as I feel of the honor done to my ofllce, moved as I have been by the devoted affection shown for our Queen and for our common country, no one is better aware than myself of the imperfect return I have made to the generous enthusiasm which has been evoked. But, gentlemen, though the language of gratitude may fail, the theme itself supplies me with that of congratution, for never has the head of any Government passed through a land so replete with contentment in the present, so pregnant with promise in the future. Prom the Northern forest borderlands, whose primeval recesses are being pierced and indented by the rough-and-ready cultivation of the free grant settler, to the trim enclosures and wheat laden townships that smile along the lakes, from the orchards of Niagara to the hunting grounds of Nepigon, in the wigwam of the Indian, in the homestead of the farmer, in the workshop of the artisan, in the ofllce of his employer—everywhere have 1 learnt that the people are satisfied—satisfied with their own individual prospects, and with the prospects of their country—satisfied with their government, and with the institutions under which they prosper—satisfied to be the subjects of the Queen —satisfied to be members of the British Empire. Indeed, I cannot help thinking that, quite apart from the advantages to myself, my yearly journeys through the provinces will have been of public benefit, as exemplifying with what spontaneous, unconcerted unanimity of language the entire Dominion has declared its faith in itself, in its destiny. In its connection with the mother country, and in the well-ordered freedom of a Constitutional Monarchy. And, gentlemen, it is this very combination, of sentiments which appears to me so wholesome and satisfactory. Words cannot express what pride I feel as an Englishman In the loyalty of Canada to England. Nevertheless, I should be the first to deplore this feeling if it rendered Canada disloyal to herself—if it either dwarfed or smothered Canadian patriotism, or generated a sickly spirit of dependence. Such, however, is far from being the case. The legislation of your Parliament, the attitude of your statesmen, tiic language of your press, sufficiently show how firmly and intelligently you are prepared to accept and apply the almost unlimited legislative faculties with which you have been endowed (hear, hear) —while the daily growing disposition to extinguish sectional jealousies, and to ignore an obsolete provincialism, proves how strongly the young heart of your confederated commonwealth has begun to throb with the consciousness of its nationalised existence (great cheering.) At this moment not a shilling of British money finds its way to Canada, the interference f of the Horae Government with the domestic affairs of the Dominion has ceased, while the Imperial relations between the two countries are regula'ed by a spirit of such mutual deference, forbearance, and moderation as reflects the greatest credit upon the statesmen of both. Yet so far from this gift of autonomy having brought about any divergence of aim or aspiration on cither side, every reader of our annals must bo aware that the sentiments of Canada towards Great Britain are infinitely more friendly now than In those early days when the political intercourse of the two countries was disturbed and complicated by an excessive and untoward tutelage—that never was Canada more united than at present in sympathy of purpose and unity of interest with the mother country—more at one with her in social habits and tone of thought—more proud of her claim to share in the heritage of England’s past—more ready to accept whatever obligations may be imposed upon her by her partnership in the future fortunes of the Empire (tremendous applause).