On Monday, Lord Carrington read a paper, entitled " Australia
as I saw it," at the-, Prince's Hall, before the members of the Colonial Institute, the Prince of Wales pre. siding. After dismissing "Imperial Federation" as a dream which was now generally given up, he described the "attitude -of the people of Australia as 'Hurrah for the sovereignty of the Queen ! but be pleased not to put it in force to cripple the free ,expansion of Australian self-governing communities.' An illustration might be found in the recent disturbance on the Chinese question, which emphasised four points,—(1), That Australia was determined to be British ; (2), that she did not .elesire interference with her internal affairs ; (3), that a national feeling was arising in Australia which influenced, by pressure from without, the policy of the Mother-country, and the varying action of the different Colonies; (4), that the independent action of the different Colonies, without union amongst themselves, must create difficulties." In order to meet this spirit of essential loyalty, Lord Carrington pointed out what might be done by England : "The same road might be opened to successful men throughout the community [i.e., the Empire]. Thus it might be possible for a Colonial Judge to be placed on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, a Chief Justice to be made a Life-Peer without being drawn from the Colonies, the title of Honourable to be credited to Australians in other parts of the world than Australia, and the title of Privy .Couneillor to be granted to some of her Majesty's Ministers." We entirely agree with Lord Carrington. It is along these lines that the union of the English-speaking race must be maintained, and not through any system of pinchbeck Imperialism or weak-kneed Federation.
Previous page
