The Thames Star. Resurrexi THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 1901. LORD CARRINGTON ON THE COLONIES.

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9832, 3 January 1901, Page 2

The Thames Star. Resurrexi THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 1901. LORD CARRINGTON ON THE COLONIES.

Speaking recently at the annual dinner of the Liverpool PhiTomathic Society, Lord Cairington said the setting sun of the 18th century went down in the. gloom of ■ an unhealed quarrel between England and her children States, and some subconscious reminiscence of those days might cling to us even yet, in times when the voice of the old sea lioness was heaid onco more across the waters' and she wasi confronting the foe alone no longer, ' but standing shoulder deep in the splendid litter of her cubs, mustered to the mother's call. It was a mighty change, and | one !arge a part of it had .just reached its culmination in the passing of the Cony monwealth Act through Parliament., When he landed in New South Wales 15 years ago he found three competing influences, which Sir Hercules ■ Robinsoni used to say were at work in different parts of the colonial world—lmperialism, colonialism, and Republicanism—or, as he preferred to call them, centralism, British constitutionalism, and Republicanism But centralism disappeared when West Australia waa granted self government, and he fancied the magnetic influence of tho Queen and the. strong feeling of attachment between England and' her colonies had reduced Republicanism almost to the vanishing point. Hence British constitutionalism lemained the leading factor of colonial policy. With' reference to the Australian Commonwealth Lord Cairington said its foundations were laid iby Sir Henry Parkes; even the completed edifice waa the creation of his mind as master builder. If Australia was to be a great people, it was of vital importance that it should remain! Anglo-Saxon and Celtic. If the excellent understanding between Australia and England was to continue, the prizes of Imperial life must cease to be regarded as the proper spoil of the English Englishman. The colonies must receive their fair share of honors and rewards. It was curious to see how public opinion had changed on 'that point. Nine years ago he recommended for the colonies appointments to the Privy Council, life peerages for the Chief Justices, of colonies, the recognition of the colonial title of "honourable," not only in the various colonies, but all over the British Empire, the admission to the English medical register of all medical 'men who had taken out their degrees or qualifications in the Universities of Sydney, Melbourne, or elsewhere, with the same license to practice as if those qualifications had been taken out in England, and that colonial naval and military men should have equality of rank with the English Imperial forces. The last proposal gave the •\ery greatest offence. But nine years had worked a marvellous change. In the Jubilee time the Premiers of all the colonies were admitted as members -of the Privy Council, and the South African war had shown what was' the metal and worth of our colonial forces. But still much remained to be done, onwh'ch he had no cut-and-dried scheme to offer. He urged watchfulness and sym-. pathy—a policy that should ever flaw, but never drift, until, in the noble words of Sir Henry Parkes, "all the people who live under the sceptre of Queen Victoria are brought within the bounds of political kinship, and made to feel that, however divided by the geographical features of tho g'obe, they are one people, not only in language, religion, laws, and institutions, but in the privileges and honours of the Empire, raid in the intercommunicablo blessings of one common freedom."