WHITEHALL DINNER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13809, 21 January 1909, Page 5

WHITEHALL DINNER.

RETURN OF LORD NORTHCOTE. Press ASsociation-By' Telegraph-CopyTjgh! Received 1t).35 p.m., Jan. 20th. LONDON, Jan. 20. Lord Northcote,- late . GovernorGeneral of Australia, was: entertained l at dinner at the Whitehall. Rooms, 230 guests being present, 'including " the Duke of Norfolk; Lord Rosebtfry, Lord, Balsbury, the Duke of. Marlborough,! .Lord Salisbury, :Lord. ! Mount Stephen, Lord .Strathcona, Viscount • Milner; Right Hon. Alfred' Lvttelton, Lord' Tennyson, Lord ■ George . ..Hamilton,, llaron Anipthill, Lord Lamington, Lord Brassev, Earl ol Lcmglord, Lord Jersey, Lord MaeDonnell, and the AgentsGeiiveral. ; - - , > ■•.'••

The Hon. W. Hall-Jones,'High 1 Commissioner- for New Zealand,, proposed the toast; of . the' "King, and Queen and, Hoy a 1 Family,'' dwelling; on .the ldyr..lty of New Zealand and the deep affection hex people had for the Motherland. The' Earl of Crewe,.' who presided,' proposed the toast of " Our" Guest, Lord Northcote," who . had not. returned. a worn-out, gladiator laying down his arms for 'good; on the contrary his weapons - were, well* cleaned and bright, and who knows how soon lie riiay he called to use them again in the. service ; of the Empirfr. He possessed many claims to esteem and regard, apart from his hereditary claims of statesmanship. He had th'e rare and valuable experience of high office in two great divisions of the Empire. Lord Crewe said lie did not. believe the colonies - were destined ,to split away from the-Motherland or. the Motherland split away from the colonics. The centrifugal, forces were slight and few compared;.with the;^centripetal. IJe remarked-that as generation followed generation ;the actual tie of blood must- lessen to some extejit, On the x other hand, , what" a number of forces were making for union; He instanced the - very real link supplied by the Crown, the ever-improving means of transit . and communication and the prospect of being'able to draw i the defensive forces of tlie 1 whole Empire into a unity which coiild. not be carried on with identity of methods, but by a distinct understanding of what tlie defetfce; of the Empire meant, and by identity of purpose and action. (Cheers.) • The Imperial " Conference had' done much in the past, and would do more in the future, to secure greater uniiy, and if possible closer cation. Incomparably a more difficult , problem was to decide the future relations respectively between the Motherland, the the'rest of th'e colonies. Their solution" would require the help of the . very best heads in the Empire, aiid among these there was none •: whose , opinion was more valuable than Lord: Northcote's. If a hearty welcome and generous friendship made the task .of the Governor-General - of , the . Australian Commonwealth in some respects, easy, yet -the occupant was confronted by difficulties requiring the exceptional qualities r o'f > pact/ patience," courage, ? and . impartiality. It was not , often these were united in one riian., It had been Lord Nqrthcote's privilege to lend a guiding hand to the' Commonwealth as it rose from boyhood to the . strong manhood it had now' reached. He showed that lie possessed the very qualities - just mentioned. He had witnessed some difficulties connected with, relative functions in the -Commonwealth, and State difficulties which' jnust neither be ignored nor over-rated. They naturally belonged to the delimitation of functions after the foundation of the Commonwealth. ' If anybody were inclined to take a really serious view . of those difficulties they might he reassured by a perusal of the similar problems confronting the American Union i'rom 1782 to 1888. Lord. Crewe finally'' mentioned that' the necessity of increasing • the white population- was a pressing Australian problem, but lie believed that immigrants of the ri ~-ht sort would, be welcomed warmly. .The toast was drunk with acclamation and cheers for Lady Northcote. Lord Northcote was greeted with an ovation on rising to"respond. He said he was proud of the opportunity of serving the- Empire in India and Australia. Many present would corroborate him when lfe said -that the •people ?:qf' Australia would endeavour •(it all times to show the King's representatives cordial kindness and that waVmth of feeling which .makes them feel they had hilt exchanged one home for another. Australians of all parties were absolutely agreed on loyalty to the 'throne and 'the Empire. The King's great personal popularity in Australia was of very real and material benefit to his representative thereLord Northcote fully endorsed Lord Crcwc-'s reference to the infinitely greater difficulties attending the American settlement after the termination of the War of Independence. Australia's difficulties were "teething troubles " —mere trifles compared with tlie American troubles. Australia had a less difficult task than Canada had successful!v accomplished in blending two great nationalities. Some people in Australia thought that the advent of federation meant the millenium. The considerable minority who opposed - federation not unnaturally made themselves heard when the Commonwealth was first confronted wit-h some tern-, porarv difficulty. Doubtless the Federal Constitution had some ambiguities respecting the relative rights of States and Commonwealth. If the millennium had wit arrived yet, very, great material benefits had already accrued to c Australia from federation. The great mass of quiet country voters appreciated very deeply, the removal of the barriers to free interstate commerce, and .would not readily assent to the reestablishment of any such drawbacks. The people every year were getting more used to the new state of affairs. It must Ijie remembered that a highly , respected High Court had been authoritatively entrusted with the defining of the respective rights and of the States and the Commonwealth. He, therefore., looked forward without a. shadow or sliade of apprehension, to the continuity of . the federal system. Australia's greatest difficulty was the necessity for increasing her population.

No doubt the occasional mistakes, of over-zealous officfals- 111 regard to immigration had created .■■prejudice. Anything in the nature .ot a. fixed desire to exclude from the Commonwealth men who wore able to .- sustain themselves bv their . labour; • had never existed Tire. - Austral tans had nneniI ploved ot their own,- and . were not prepared to import more from the Old I Country. '.Regarding-, coloured immii gration; Britishers would-do-well to consider that from an. "Australian 1 equality the British standpoint was, a physical impossibility, i. Britain was being swamped, by the coloured labourer,.' but Australia, .was differently placed regarding the Asiatic, therefore it was quite.conceivable, from: an Australian standpoint, that unless .Australians -'rigidly - secure „ themselves against the. possibility ot being swamped by Asiatic labour, • they' may bo confronted bv a problem even more serious' -than; >tho. great • negro, question of the United States. - Much depended: on Australia s ability to populate the lingo Northern Territory.:with whites . He. hesitated- to pronounce a definite opinion.. He believed it- possible for;-st'eadv.' - sober, and careful' '.vhitc men .to colonise., for a. time that great tropical land: but it was a Very serious matter how far the climate was suitable 'for-women and children,: and whether .tliev could hope 111 the. course of generations that, a hcalthx* and virile race .could continue ,to*, live .- and breed in such a- climate. At present there were only-2000: whites in half a. million square/ miles, i It .was impossible to- wish', that th'ey could indefinitely continue. ' Evidently the settlement' of the Northern Territory was one of ■the veyy: greatest questions confronting .'Australia; r Tlioy must remember, that if, .! instead -of the cordial friendship,. they were on-bad terms with -China' or l J.sip an, it would be possible for alii Asiatic force : to seize Port Darwin find march southward at .their-leisure. - It'was impossible for. five million'Euro--peans, no matter how hardy,- to defend and develop - a confcmont threefold the size of: Europe. . Neither. numerically nor financially iWere they able it. They must'rely for a considerable time on the aid of the Motherland in a time of need. .': The ; resources were not illimitable, and UvitV. a world-wide Empire Britain may be called ,on . to make great .sacrifices.' iijsall--partß'of the globe. . The amouiit <Vf" aid tjiat Australia can expect fromVthe'Motherland must necessarily be limited, and -Ansr tralia .niust be largely ■ dependent on herself for defence.; Whilst unable at present to contribute very materially in men and money to tliat defence, .she can render great service to the Em■pire : and \ herself by co-oporating vigorously with ■ .a: liberal policy of immigration, which would retain in a British Dominion . the . numbers now diverted to foreign :countries.