The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-26 00:00:00

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to a distant governorship, where the fame of their previous
career had not spread. Such being the sort of persons sent
out to act as governors to the colonies, was it to be won-
dered at that they were utterly unfit to sustain their
characters, or that they became the tools of the factions
which existed at the seat of their rule? From such causes
sprung the jealousies and feuds which were so frequent
amoagvt the authorities and functionaries ofdistant colonies.
The governors and the judges were, owing to these causes,
frequently upon a hostile footing towards each other, and
not a year passed in which some petitions were not presented
complaining of the arbitrary removal of judges or other
functionaries by the superior authorities of the colonise. So
frequent, indeed, were throe petitions, that a permanent tri-
bunal had been constituted to judge of their grounds ; and
who should be placed at the head of such a commission but
the man who had long been designated as the evil genius
of the Colonial-office ?" (Cries of " Nsme, name ?" to
which some hon. member anaweeed Siephens.) The
facts which he refs reed to were of such notoriety
that all were acquainted with them more or
less. No wonder, therefore, that the colonies were badly
governed under such a system, or that the colonists were
discontented. The question to be considered was, whether
the system could be amended. It appeared to him that the
admiuistration of the affairs of the colonies by the Downing-
street authorities was far inferior to the system of self
government. 'the colonists were tar better judges of their
owe wants than any person jobbing in Downingatreet could
be. The Colonial office was entirely irrespo .sible, and it
was only when the country was called upon to pay for its
misdeeds, in the shape of a Kafir or New Zealand war, that
any accounts et its proceedings could be obtained. And
even then the documents were so carefully prepared
that few of the members of that house were able
to trace the various items so set out by the
Colonial-office. The only remedy for the state of things he
had described was self government ; and the concluaion that
he hail come to was, that the only course now to be followed
towards the colonists was to bestow on them every power of
managing and controlling their affairs, only reserving to
England the sovereignty over them, which to withdraw I
would 'ho incurious to the whole empire. The purposes for
which the colonies were chiefly if not wholly useful is the
mother country were to afford an outlet for emigration
and a market for her manufactures. During the last twenty
years the cost of emigration hail been 20,000,0001., and taking
periods of fire years during that time it would be found that
emigration had gone steadily can increasing every year. In
180. 11 Wan W.UUU ; In tool, uumo ; lb", 'coo
in 15,47, 121,000. These important facts would show that
the habit of emigration was steadily advancing; and his
conclusion was that free trade and emigration ought to be
the acne objects held in view in reference to the colonies in
concurrence with maintaining the sovereignty of Great Bri-
tain over them, If henceforward, instead of expending
4,000,0001. on the military, naval, and civil establishments of
the colonies, 2,000,0001. were to be annually applied to
the purposes of emigration, the result would soon be
most beneficial. The colonies were competing for labour;
and could England nut bridge over the ocean by her emi-
gration ships so as to supply those wants ? If that Gould be
accomplished cue of the most difficult mobil problems of the
day would be at once solved. The difficulry was to find
funds ; but, as he had said, why not expend 2,000,0001. a year
in this way instead of the 4,0u0,0001. now so idly and waste-
fully spent ? The statesman who would carry into operation a
vast and or,m prehensi vt scheme of emigration would achieve for
himself an imperishable name. But the system upon which
emigration must be based ought to be that practised by the
Greeks in founding their colonies, and by thole wise and self-
denying men who founded the states of New England on the
shores of America. All classes must gu together.
The capitalist, the professional man, the artisan, the farmer,
the mechanic, the labourer, all with their wives, their fami-
lies, their implements, so as to constitute a complete colony
in themselves. The horrible sy tem of casting tut paupers
in a state of disease too horrible to think of, and sullied by
crimes unmentionable even to the moat polluted ears, was
one which characterised the recent efforts et emigration
sanctioned by the Col milli-office. It waa alike disgraceful
to those who were the participators in the scheme and those
who were its victims. If the good old system of colonisation
were pursued thesavagedeserte of New Zealand would soon be
converts...l it.:o the happy abodes of the Saxon-English race.
Having thus explained h a views, he begged to move the
resolution which he hail already read, and to state in conclu-
sion that if the government agreed in it, he would on a future
day give noLice of his intention next session to appeal to the
house to appoint a committee to inquire into the means by
which the views he had explained could best be carried into
effect.

Mr. HUTT lamented his inability to offer any adequate
[..gate to the admirable speech which the hon. baronet bad
just delivered, and he should even have felt diffident in
rising to second the motion, were it not that he was prepared
to maintain nearly every position laid down by the hon baronet.
Mr. HAWES said that whether he regarded the import-
ance of this dete.te, or the magnitude of the subject and the
multitude of ds,ails it involved, he might venture to solicit
the kindness and indulgence of the house whilst he drew
some,* h .t largely on its attention. Without presuming
to defend all the errors and defects that might have chuac-
tensed the colonial government of past times, he would say
that, taken as a whale, that government had been the most
successful and free that the world had ever witnessed.
(Hear, hear.) Where. amongst the colonies of foreign
powers, could there be found the same success, the same pro-
gress, the same establishment of free institutions and equal
laws, • free press. and trial by jury, as existed in the whole
of our colonies? (Hear.) There was not one of oar modern
colonies to which he would not point as a most triumphant
contrast to the old American colonies. Whether in New
Zealand, South Australia, Port Phillip,—wherever in late
years we have attempted to found a colony, success the most
marked had attended that effort. Not a single colony could
be n.med amongst the old American colonies whose success
had been so rapid as that of Australia. The hon. member
for Southwark had said the patronage of the Colonial-office
was distributed amongst needy adventurers, and the poor re-
lations of those having parliamentary influence; but he
might have mollected name after name of those who were
colonial governors at present which would have given the
most decisive answer to that imputation. Under the past
and present governments men of the most distinguished
ability and the highest character had been called to these offices;
amongst them he might name Lord Metcalfe, Lord Durham,
Lord Elgin, Lord Harris, and Sir W. Colebrooke, about to
go to Barbadoes. Were these men having parliamentary
influence, or ....re they not rather marked out by their own
fitness and ability for the situations t i which they had been
appointed ? Itemarko in that house were addressed, not only
to this country, but to the colonies ; and it was important to
show that the appointments had not been made from the
sordid motives assigned. He might refer to Sir More
OTerrall, in Malta; to Sir C. Grey, in New Zealand ; and
to Lord Harris, in Trinidad. Could any man impugn these
appointments, or say that they had proceeded from sordid
motives? The hon. member would confer on all the colonies
self-government, and would make it the rule. To a large
extent be (Mr. Hawes) concurred in the propriety of this
rule, where the colonies were fit for its application.
But the general maxim admitted of great qualification.
In Canada self-government was care ed to the utmost
point: could the same system be extended to the little island
of Nene, or even to Mauritius, which partook of the charac-
ter of a military possession, as well as the, of a colony, and
where imperial intetens had to be consulted' quite so much
so those of the colonists ? Moreover, where there existed
hostile races, and the European population were in a great
minority, representative government might place a tyranni-
cal power in the hands of the majority. Here the moderat-
ing influence of the crown came in, and had been more
beneficial in maintaining harmonious action between the
different races than self-government could possibly be. Our
colonies might be grouped into four great classes: territorial
possessions—possessions where we !ought to extend emigre.
nun and to diffuse the British name, race, and language, as
the colonies in North America, Australia, South Africa, and
New Zealand. Another class were our plantations, the great
abject cf which was trede and the supply of this country with
tropical produce ; and here again were great anomalies and
some diiiieldtiOlto deal with in applying the doctrine of self-
government. Next came our trading possessions held as
depots, Hong-Kong, Lehuan, and the settlements on the
west coast of Africa. These great possessions were placed
under very different circumstances, and established for very
different purposes, and did nut admit of one uniform system
of government. Then there were our great military stations,
to which the !ann. baronet did not mean to apply the princi-
ple he hail laid down. In colonies so varied it was impoaai
ble to establish a uniform system of government ; the system
moat vary with the varying circumstances and necessities of
the enlnniata, 1.0.1 eelegovernmeet ought to be the general
rule ; whenever the colony was morally and physically fitted
for it, it ought to be the first duty of the government to
confer it. The hon. baronet would not abandon any of our
colonies; bet how was it possible to govern them without
some central home authority ? That authority must exist
in some form or shape very similar to its present
one. What was meant by the " despotic authority of the
Colonial-office ?" Where could such authority possibly be
exercised i The colonial minister was amenable to parlia-
ment; he, a very bumble individual, was there to explain
and defend, as far as be deemed it right, whatever had been
impugned in colonial policy. If a judge was displaced, he I
soon found an advocate to bring his case before that house.
lie might refer to the discussions on the past government of
New Zealand; that had been made • great question in the
house, hats been brought repeatedly under its notice ; and
great good had been the result. He utterly denied the
existence of any "despotic authority," or "occult in-
flu.eitee," such as had been alluded to, or of any action or
pneciple of action which he should be ashamed to avow and
defend in that house. Ile utterly repudiated all the un-
worthy insinuations which had been cast on the proceedings
of an important department of the government, rather, he
suPposed, to give a zest to speeches, than for any good and
useful purpose. (Hear, hear.) But these attacks tended to
undermine our authority in the colonies ; and, there-
fore, • case ought to be fully capable of proof
before it was submitted to that house. (Hear, hear.)
Canada d tee largest measure of sell-govern-
ment. (Ireirre.r At a time when the greatest changes, appre-
ber`lon, and anxiety were going en in Europe, Canada was
Perfectly tranquil aed content ; there was no attempt either
") promote revolutionor stir up excitement ; the colonists re-
lied on the government they had, which was a government in
;:oefermitywith the majority of the House of Assembly and of
the electors. (Hear.) Again, in New Brunswick, the most
complete measure of local self-government had been con-
ferred. On the 23rd June last, Earl Grey had addressed a
despatch to the governor of that colony, recommending him
'1" endeavour to form such a council as he thought would
commend the greatest confidence of the inhabitants and
their repr s• natives, and thus secure a general support in
=trying on the government ; and, at the same time, care-
lully to abstain from committing himself to the leaders of
'my one political party, in such a manner as to place him
under difficulty in obtaining similar oonstitutionel support
from their opponents, should any change of circumstances
gre them the majority.” (Hear, hear.) In Nova Scotia a
charge of admin4tration had taken place; the province was

9 satisfied with the change, and the new gove;nenent were now
conducting the ministry and receiviug the general support of
the assembly. Some harsh observations had been m ide
• on the bid pasted for New Zealand. That bill would
hare conferred a good constitution on the colony ; it made,
for the first time, a most important provision for en-
franchising the natives themselves, of whom a great num-
ber would soon be qualified to claim the franchise, for in more
intelligent set of men and better qualified to become good
subjects he did not believe existed anywhere. (Heat, hear.)
It wu said the bill sent out to Australia had created the
greatest dissatiehection ; but it had oily been sent
out to elicit the opinions of the colonists. Thou
opinions were adverse, and there was an end of it; but
in all probability the result would be to establish a repre-
sentative constitution in New South Wales, with full pro-
visions for altering and amending it from time totime as the
colonists migh: see fit. (Hear, hear.) This was surely
no despotic interference. (Hear.) It was said the Cape
of Good Hope ought to have a representative government ;
and the hon. member had attempted to show that there
was an indisposition to confer this franchise. It is
quite the reverse. (Hear.) Lord Grey's attention was
called to the subject in 1846, and in a despatch of the god of
November of that year, he stated that the government en-
tertained the strongest prepossession in favour of the repre-
sentative system, and would promptly avail themselves of
any opportunity of extending it to the colony. Sir H. Smith,
in a despatch of the 3rd December lest, stated that he should
shortly make a general report as to the remodelling of the
government on a representative principle. He now passed
to the West India colon es, where a very dif-
ferent system of things prevailed—small European
communities, and large coloured populations. Was
his hon. friend prepared to morust entirely to those
colonies the management of their affairs, without the inter-
vention of the Colonial-of ce ? It that were so they must I
either secure a large extensive suffrage to the coloured pope- I
lation, or they must leave the management of affairs entirely
in the hands of the small European population. He did not
' think that the country would allow this, because the ten-
dency of the laws which had been passed during the last ten j
or fifteen years was to place, more or less, the coloured popu-
lation in entire subservience to their masters. (Hear, bear.) j
His hon. friend said that the colonies which possessed repre-
sentative assemblies were governed more cheaply than those .
which were under the immediate direction of the Colonial-
offiee. Ile was not consinced that the statement was correct.
His hon. friend based his calculations on the most uncertain
'•• • ' .
Seining correct accounts, whether of populetion, of
finance, expenditure, or the cost of government. (Hear.)
Front New Zealand and New South Wales they obtained
such information with great minnteneu, but the case was
different with regard to the West Indies. His hon. friend
estimated the expenses of government by the population, but '
when 40,000 per,ons emigrated to a colony in one year it .
must very much alter the estimate. (Hear, hear.) Wi.h
respect to Guiana, the total expenditure, including that of ,
the military establishment, was 270,0001. The mother
country paid for the military establishment only; the re.
=Under was paid by the colony. But 100,0001. of that sum j
was expended on immigration and procuring labourers.
This could not fairly be called an expense on account of
government.
Sir W. MOLES WORTH said he omitted expenditure for i
emigration from all his calculations.
Mr. HAWES said that his hon. friend did not mention
any amount as struck out on account of immigration. His
lion. friend also said that there was an extravagant ex-
penditure on account of Hong-Kong. The last report
from llong.Kong was dated the 13th of March, 1847.
In that report Sir J. Davis said that the revenue had risen
from 9,0001. to 22,0001., and that in the pretest year it was
27,0001. The expenditure had been diminished by 6,1701.,
and the military east) ishrnent had been at the same time re-
duced. It was not always fair to make the military esta-
blishment a part and parcel of the colonial expenditure,
because if they were to carry on teed° in distant seas they I
must have a mil& ry and naval force for its protection.
(Hear, hear.) His hon. friend alluded to Ceylon; but he
was now able to inform him that the whole fixed cost of the
establishments in that island was now placed under the con-
trol of the colonial council. ( Hear, hear.) He admitted
that great reduction might be made in the cost of the colonies,
that the expenditure on their account ought to be regarded
as one capable of great diminution, without at all impairing
the efficiency of their management. (Hear, hear.)
Great complaints had been made of the cost of Mauritius.
With regard to that colony he begged to inform his hon.
friend that in September last instructions had been sent from
the Colonial-office to the governor, desiring him to redoes:,
the outlay to the least possible amount. The probable pres-
sure that was ceming upon Mauritius had been foreseen. and
it was in consequence of this that those instructions had been j
sent out. They were now in the receipt of the reply of the j
governor, and in consequence of the instructions issue d,
there was a reduction of taxes to the amount of 65,000/.
(Hear, hear.) He had shown that there was every dispel- j
tion to establish local self-government where the colony was i
in a position to exercise it, and with regard to the diminu.
tion of expenditure, he had shown, by the instances of i
(lesion and Mauritius, tha the Colonial-office had not been
idle. He denied that there was any falling off
in the extent or importance of the colonial trade.
His hon. friend said that for every pound's worth of goods
which was exported 9s. was paid as the cost of colonial go.
'eminent. If that statement wire accurate the charge j
would be indefensible, but he would diminish it at once by
4s. 6d., because his hon. friend had omitted altogether from
his calculation the amount of imports, and it was on the
total value of both that they had to determine the cost of
colonial government. The value of the imports for 184.5 was
1.5,100,0001., and of the exports 13,400,0001. What were the ,
fruits of British colonisation ? The colony of South Aus-
tralia was a pet colony, but there had been such an extra.
elegant expenditure of money on public works that it would
have been bankrupt but for the interference of the
Colonial-office. It had received 2,000,0001. at first.
It was transferred to the Colonial-office, and from that
moment it became one of their most flourishing colonies.
His hon. friend spoke of the hardships to which the colonists
were subject on account of the regulations respecting the '
royalties of mines. Those regulations had been established
after great care and elaborate investigation by Lord Stanley.
But this disadvantage attended them—that they applied only
to some of the mines. Representations had been made to
his noble friend on the subject, and though his own impres-
sion was that a tax on ore was as fair a tax as could be im.
posed, his noble friend removed tho royalties. (Hear,
bear.) Their colonial policy was by no means so unsuc-
cessful as had been represented. Take the colony of Port
Phillip, for instance, and see how marked was its progress.
In 1815 the revenue of Port Philip was 89,0001. ; in 1846 it
was 96,0001. The imports in 1836 were 20.5,000;; in 1846
they were 315.0001. In 183 G the exports amounted to
342,0001. ; in 1846 to 42.5,0001. In South Australia, again,
the revenue in 1840 was 30,0001. • in 1846 it was 62,0001.
The expenditure in 1810 was 69,0001. ; in 1845 it was
36,0001. ; in 1846 it was 49,0001. The amount of the copper
ore alone exported in 1841, 1815, 1816 was 75,0001. He ad.
milled that discontent exited in some of the colonies, and
discontent would always exist with respect to particular
questions. They were all agreed on the policy of establish-
ing a colonisation fund from the sale of the
colonial lands, but it was a difficult question to determine
the exact price of this land. It a high price was fixed
it would create discontent in the colonies. There were some
questions, therefore, in which imperial intereits would be at
variance with the supposed interests of the colonies. He
had spoken of the Australian colonies : he would now speak
of New Zealand. He did not know any instance of a more
successful colony.
An Hoer. MEM Ben—That was not owing to the Colonial- I
office. .

Mr. HAWES—New Zealand owed a great deal to the
Colonial-officce of late years. It had granted a loan to a
considerable amount to the New Zealand Company. Since
then the progress of the colony was of a striking and marked
character. In September, 1841, Caproin Fitzroy, writing to
Lord Stanley, said that the state of the colony was unprece-
dented, that the difficulties' to be; surmounted were great,
and that nothing but paper money wee in circulation.
Recent accounts, however, showed that the state of the
colony was very improving. His hon. friend had alluded to
accounts which were upon the table of the house relative to
colonial expenditure. When his (Mr. Hawes's) attention
was first directed to them, he owned that he thought the in-
crease of that expenditure remarkable. On examination he
found, however, that nearly the whole of the increase was
in three colonies—Outride, the Cape of Good Hope, and
Australia. He had come to the conclusion that that expen-
diture might be considerably reduced, but at the same time
he did not think the result would be produced by creating a
greater number of colonial legislators. It was said that there
was a constant interference by the Colonial-office with the
internal affairs of the colonies. Now, he found that last
year there were no less than 012 acts of colonial legislation,
of which the Colonial-office only dissented in any way to 55.
He knew that the Colonial-office was a very unpopular de-
partment. He did not see why it should be so, yet he
scarcely anticipated that it could be otherwise, seeing the
number of schemers and applicants who daily appeared at it.
He denied that the Colonial-office was, as it was
said to be, the seat of a despotism. He believed
those who filled the high office of Colonial
minister bad conferred the greatest benefits on our colon;a1
empire. This was all he had to say. He had no objection
to the hon. gentleman's motion. It did but carry out the
principle they had for some time been aiming at, and its ten.
deney would be to strengthen the hands of the colonial
minister. There were many of his hon. friend's plans with
which, of course, he could not agree; and which he feared, if
adopted, would weaken the ties which bound our colonies to
the mother country. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. F. SCOTT moved the adjournment of the debate.
Mr. HTJME said it was utterly impossible to expect, at
this period of the session, that the debate should he ad-
journed. He thought his hon. friend (Sir W. Molesworth)
ad exhausted the subject, and the declarations and admis-
sions of the government were highly satisfactory. It ap-
peared that local government was to be henceforth the ru
and not the exception, and that great economy was hence-
forth to be even:lied. lie thought they ought to take
the declaration of government as a great concession. lie
did not see that the hon. member (Mr. Scott) would gain
anything by adjournment, and he entreated him to with-
draw his motion.

Mr. STAFFORD said, the hon. member would not wish
to go on if he had been in the house since twelve o'clock that
da
Mr. HIJME.—I have never been out of it. (Cries of
" Hear, hear," and laughter.)
Mr. MANGLES also confessed himself very wearied, but
said he would go on if the house desired it. (Cries of "Go
on.") Well, then, he would go on. He confessed he
thought the Under Secretary had made out that recently the
administration of colonial affairs had been much improved.
He regretted, however, that he had undertaken the defence
of the Colonial-office during all past periods since its forma-
tion. How could any member defend the conduct of the
colonial department respecting New Zealand ? How could
he venture to uphold a system of colonial government which