IMPERIAL FRIZES AND PLUMS

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4819, 5 January 1901, Page 4

IMPERIAL FRIZES AND PLUMS

Earl Carrington, in the course of an address to the Liverpool Philoinatbic Society, upou the Colonial Empire, made reference to the changed relations between the colonies and the Mother Country, remarking that one large part of that change had just reached its culmination in the passing of the Commonwealth Bill. Federation beiug now an accomplished fact, the question might fairly be asked whether it would remain and stre^tben in ifs present harmonious sympathy with the great English-speaking confederation. If Australia was to be a great people, it was of vital, importance that it should remain Airiglo-SaioiQ a.nd Celtic. The importance of this was recognised by Australians themselves in their absolute determination to prevent Chinese immigration, now happily a thing of the past. This was by no means a mere question of exclusion of cheap labor ; it belonged to a vastly more important issue, as to the purity of a race. If the excellent understanding which now prebevween Australia and England was to continue, much would depend on rousing this country to the realisation of the fact that the plums and prizes of Imperial life must cease to be regarded as the proper spoil of the Englishman. Our . self-governing colonies must receive their fair share of honors and rewards. It was curious to see how public opinion had changed on this point. Nine years ago he was somewhat severely taken to task for making the same suggestion, but since then a change had taken place. In the Jubilee time the Premiers of all the colonies were abmitied members of the Privy Council, and the South' African war bad shown what was the mettle and worth of our colonies' forces. Much remained to be done on which be had no cut and dried scheme to offer but he urged watchfulness and sympathy — a policy that should ever flow, but never drift until, in the noble words of Sir Henry Parkes all the people who lived under the sceptre of Queen Victoria were brought within the boands of political kinship and made to feel that they were one people, not only in language religion, laws, and institutions, but in. the privileges and honors of tha Empire and in the inter communicable bleseingi of one common freedom.