THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 15, 1861.] DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1866

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23221, 19 June 1937, Page 3

THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 15, 1861.] DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1866

SEVENTY-ONE YEARS AGO

It may be that the destinies of the Colonial Empire of England depend in a manner which few Colonists realise on the Reform Debates, which have probably before this decided the permanency or the fall of the present Imperial Ministry Of course, the change of policy which must be expected to follow any change in the constituency of the House of Commons will have its influence on the remotest parts of the Empire; but the changes proposed by the Ministerial Reform Bill are not, in themselves, of a nature to produce a very sudden or very striking change of policy. The adoption of the Bill, however, will probably seat Mr Gladstone firmly in office, and that for a period sufficiently long to make his convictions and even his proclivities felt through the length and breadth of the Empire. . . . . . . The Colonial policy of England is, we believe, certain to move in the direction indicated by Mr Goldwin Smith, because his ideas are in harmony with the economical notions, which for the last twenty years have steadily advanced from the conquest of one stronghold of old English policy to another. How far the advance in our time may be is uncertain. A war might precipitate such a movement, or possibly might retard it, as any great political excitement at Home certainly would. We may, however, be sure that the direction is, speaking generally, towards , loosening the connection between the Mother Country and the Colonies. But though it might be vain to attempt to change the direction of such a movement, there still are limits within which it might be possible for communities or even individuals to divert it, while the rate of its advance will depend, unless it be affected by some great disturbance external to it, on circumstances over which it is quite possible for individuals or communities to gain some control.

To-day the Taranaki sails for the North with Mails for England by the Panama Route Several intending passengers took advantage of the departure of the Auckland yesterday to take their passages to Wellington nv her ' The Postmaster-General has issued a notice in the “ Now Zealand Gazette,” stating that in future the postage on letters from New Zealand to Ceylon will be, if not exceeding half an ounce sixpence: not exceeding one ounce, one shilling; and one shilling for every additional ounce or fractional part of an ounce. Owing to the harbor steamer Golden Age getting aground in Dunedin Bay yesterday afternoon, the s.s. Rangitoto, with the outgoing Europeans mails, via Suez: ■ and the s.s. Auckland, for Northern Ports, were unable to leave Port Chalmers until late last evening.