THE FEDERATION LEAGUE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5016, 25 May 1889, Page 3

THE FEDERATION LEAGUE.

(Per Electric Telegraph—Copyright, ) (Per Press Association.) (Received 12.40 p.m., May 25th.) London, May 24. At the annual meeting of the Federation League last night Earl Rosebery presided. The report, amongst other things, expesnes regret that no branch of the League had been founded in New South Wales, and deplores the untimely death of the late Sir W. B. Dailey. Lord Rosebery in moving the adoption of the reportrogrotted that the Federal propaganda had not made greater way in Australia, but on the other hand he was pleased to say that the movement had progressed in Canada. He suggested that parties of workmen should be sent to the colonies in warships at the imperial expense, in order to acquire particular knowledge of the colonial trade and report thereon. Lord Carnarvon, who seconded the motion, asserted that the thorough state

j into which the colonies had put their de- ' fences, and the completeness of their pre- * paration to resist a foreign invader, put Englaud to the blush. He regretted that ! the Colonial Office was not in sympathy with the objects of the League, and claimed that Federation was essential to the well being of the Empire. Lord Charles Beresford said that the activity of the colonies in the matter of defence compelled ' the attention of England. He thought the colonies were more important to England than England was to the colonies. The meeting was small but influential. The Times, commenting on the proceedings at the meeting, thinks Earl Rosebery’s suggestion that the colonies should be the first to suggest a scheme of Federation prudent, but it is not hopeful of the probability of this being done. Fiscal relations form the critical point on which a general agreement is likely to bo wrecked, as a fiscal basis will be out of question while the colonies insist on taxing produce from the Mother Country, and allow heavy imports to come in from foreign nations.