THE FEDERATION LEAGUE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4549, 27 May 1889, Page 2

THE FEDERATION LEAGUE.

• (Per Electric Thlkgrapii — Copirioht.P (Per Press Association.) (K«osivoil 12.10 p.m.. May 251h.) London, May 24. At the annual meeting of t ho Federation League list night the Eurl of Rosebery presided. The report, amongst other tilings, expressed regret Unit no branch of the League had been founded m New South Wales, and <?eplorod the untimely death of the late Sir W. B. Dalley. Lord Rosebery m moving the adoption of the report regretted that the federal propaganda had not made greator way m Australia, but on the other hand he was pleased to flay that tho movement had progressed m Canada. He suggested that parties of workmen ehould be sent to the colonies in> warships at the Imperial expense, m order to acquire particular knowledge of the colonial trade and report thoroon. Lord Carnarvon, who seconded tho motion, nssertod that the thorough state into which the colonies had put their defences, and the completeness of their proparation to resist a foreign invader, put England to tho blush. He regretted that tho Colonial Office was not m sympathy with the objects of tho League, and ! claimed that Federation was essential to I tho wallbcing of tho JStppiro.

Lord Charles Bercsford said that the activity of tho colonies m the matter of defence compelled the attention of England. He thought that the colonies were moro important to England than England was to the colonies. Tho meeting nas small but influential. The Times, commenting on the proceedings at tho meeting, thinks that the Earl of Rosebery'a 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, n3 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 m from foreign nation?.