The colonists had another very successful meeting at the Cannon-
Street Hotel on Wednesday last, when loud complaints were made from all quarters of the superciliousness, and little knowledge of Colonial affairs shown at the Colonial Office. Sir George Grey, ex-Governor of New Zealand, said that Lord Granville had in- timated to one of the deputations on the subject of New Zealand, that if New Zealand wished to break off her conuectiou with this country, and thought it for her own advantage to do so, there would be no objection. We do not see that a Colonial Minister under the new policy could say anything else, if really pressed to answer,—but to volunteer such an assertion was certainly very like saying that this is what the Colonial Office is rather desiring than otherwise. And this is precisely the sort of cold and gratuitous contempt which is so common at the Colonial Office, and to our minds so unatatesmanlike. It is clear, however, that the colonists are now roused, and there is some reason to hope that they may make this a great general question with the country at large. If so, a considerable colonial disaster would not be too much to pay for really fixing the mind of Parliament on the colonial problem.
Previous page
