Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-24 00:00:00

~~s..

SIR G. GREY ON THE COLONIAL SYSTEM I
OF ENGLAND. I

On Wednesday evening, a complimentary dinner was I
given to Sir George Grey, Governor of the Cape of Good
Hope, at the Louden Tavern, where about 120 gentle=
men,. either former reaidonts, or commercially in-
terested in the colony, assembled to greet him. Sir.
George, in responding to the toast of his health, com-
batted the theory that the colonies, instead of being a
profit to Great Britain, were an actual encumbrance and
disadvantage to her. He could not comprehend the
grounds of such an opinion. As for taxation, it was suite
true that the ;manufacturing people of Great Britain
did in the first instance pay the taxes which supported
our army and navy ; but that taxation was put= on the
price of the commodities which the colonists consumed.
He believed that every individual colonist and the-bar- '
barian nations, of the, interior annually contributed a
large sum to the support of the armies and navies of
Great Britain. Not a blanket, not a saddle, not a pick-,
axe or an iron pot could they buy without paying such
imperial taxation; this was an undoubted fact. He had
heard it said that whether or not these countries were
dependencies of the crown of Great Britain, their
inhabitants would equally purchase the articles we
manufactured. But he would answer that experience
showed this idea to be fallacious, and many of the
merchants.he saw present might bear bim out. When
first we assumed the colony of the' Cape of Good
Hope from Holland a very large amount of Dutch
and. German goods was consumed there : but since
then English tastes and fashioni.had been introduced;
and at present no sale could be obtained there for
Dutch or German commodities, but all the imports came
from England. He could go further, and say that, if
those young countries did not belong to Great Britain,
they, would belong to some other 'European power, and
then the trade would be restricted, and British manu-
factures could- not_ be :exported. thither. What-trade had
we now with the Dutch or French dependenCies ? As
for their situation in time of war, he would remark.that
before the volunteer corps began- to be formed in this
country the colonies formed them, although they feared
no invasion ; for so long as a British force commanded
the seas, no- foreign force could get into the country.
The colohists would ask no protection from this coantry
except that' of the -navy. which was required for our
commerce. If we had 'no colonies, we should not
require. one ship the lesa .to. protect- our trade. = But
having, the colonies, our fleets,- when engaged in distant
operations anywhere on the globe, had harbours, and
supplies, and a hearty welcome ready forthem while the
fleets of a hostile power could enter none of those ports
without having to fight. for it.. He liad=been much
struck with one fact he witnessed during the CriMeari
war. The moment 'it was known that Qiieen Victoria
desired a collection to be made for the sufferers in our
army, the people of every race in South Africa came
forward, to contribute to it. Nuniberi of poor Fingoei,
quite poor men in the villages of that barbarian race, at
once gave their penny a piece, and Fingoe women
came with their baskets of produce on their heads;
they were disappointed when they found it' could not
be taken, and then they, went about the villages to Sell it
for what they could; and brought the money. Even in the
republics beyond our borders, the very men we:had cast
off sent their subscriptions, which were_not inconsider-
able for their numbers and their means. He ;was, there-
fore, convinced that our colonies were not a disadvantage
to us. In the year 1819 or 182 Q, a body of settlers =was '
sent out from this Country to the Cape of Good Hope,
and great complaints had been made' that, that emigra-
tion cost £50,000;_ but he was quite satisfied that those
very settlers and their relatives had sent back more than
.£50,000 to England in the purchase of Pritisb. goods.
Homes, had been found there, for thousands, and many
had acquired wealth ;. au immenso,quantity.of wool was
grown =for our manufactures, and a great number of our
ships, employed in the- cairiap. There ,were persons
now in the colony who went, oup in 1819, and.more than
one of whom could' repay that sum of £50,600 out of
his own pocket,. without making-himself a pow: an.

•
THE DOG THAT HAS HAD HIS DAY.—Under t his title
Mr. Westerton, of Hyde Park-corner, has published a
cartoon, in which is depicted the French Eagle carrying
away,across the Channel Punch's unfortunate and used?
up dog Toby,, who-carries in his fore paws a number of
Punalt;, While Punch,himself..apPears #ying through the
air in pursuit. The visages of the dog and,his master
are sufficiently rueful ;' but' those who have seen in this
week's number of our once witty contemporary a para-
sitical copy of verses; worthy of an . Ancient bellman at
Christmas, laudatory of his big brother the Timer, will
feel that the sting of the satire is in the: truth of the
Motto, " The pqg that has had his Day."
THE TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT AT SAN JUAN
ISLAND.—The following is the proposition submitted by
General Scott to Governor Douglas for the joint occupa-
tion of the island of .San Yuan,:—"lcrithoutpiejudice to
the claim of either nation to the sovereignty of the entire
island of San Juan, now in dispute, it is proposed that each
Shall occupy a separate portion of the same by a detachment
of infantry, riflemen, or marines, not exceeding 100 men,
With their appropriate
,arms, only for the equal protec-
tion of their respective; countrymen on the said island in
their persons and property, Sand to repol any descent
'on the part of hostile Indians." General:. Scott added
in his note that any addition .or modification suggested.
by Governor Douglas would meet with respectful con-
sideration. Lieutenant-Colonel Lay returned with the
following reply : " Memorandum. His Excellency
Governor Douglas authorises me to say, having yet no
time to consider the preposition offered by Lieutenant
Generals Scott, or to consult with his official advisers
here, he is at a glance satisfied that no obitaele exists
to a completely amicable and satisfactory adjustment,
continuing throughont the -period of diploMatic dis-
cussion respepting the title of the island of San Juan,
'either' iiPon itherlAan ' iuggested by, 'General coat, ,or
some other • that Maybe mutually agreed to after, ad=
visement." A copy of, this memorandum was ietaired
by Governor DonglaS, after being read and approved by
him, and signed by Lieutenant-Colonel Lay.
GALLANT LIFE-BOAT SERVICES.—LYTHAM, Wednea.
day evening.—Pliiing the violence of the storm at day-
break thisi,mqrning, a vessel' was seenfrom here in a
most critical situation., on the Horse tank. The new
life-boat, on Peake's,plan, belonging to the Royal Na-
tional Life-boat Institution, stalioned. here, Was. at once
launched and, proceeded 'eff
,to her assistance. }laving
arrived within a short; distal:we of the vessel the crew
werepetceived inaliing!an attempt. to save their hires in
their own boat,fOrtunately the life-boat 'came. up to
them just in time to.;save the inen'froni drewping,, as
their own boat Nis9.awaniped, and the next Wave would
inevitablyhave.capsged,her. The crew,consistingofse,ven
persons, were landed here In a very exhausted condition',
' one of them, a coloured.- man, was some time under
medical treatment ere he was. pronounced. out of .liinger.
The vessel is- thp_hrigantine Hannah Jane, of tendon,
Captain Ketto, master, bound from Liverpool to
Valentia, Spain,,,,laden with gas pipes, having left
Liverpool on Friday, last. -This is the second yessera:l
crew that this valuable, lifkhoat hers saved duringithe ,
last fortnight. —By.; telegraph Thnrsday,
morning', The lifeThPA,Weeil4pcl last - ht inbringin
into Lytham the gannah,;lane, with her cargo, valued
at about 43,9PQ,,,, 1 • .
' THE TINKERS OF CArrusress.-rn-What, is to ho .done
with:theitinher6[? Such. is: .the 144yqueation pUti
,almost every' parish of this:pow:4ly., Not a night p_iisses,,
ci4ritliout;bluck,Xofil.being
levied in all directions by that
tribnotio hukating int* propertiolvt,Oß ilia host
Character. At the present time the name of the tribe., is
legion for (therArcraanv. The Maecafe.oBo.ll9 WiAjaAl•-
,sons, iheaforrust the: Newlands, the Mazdanalds, and
,otheix, :number 0. all perhaps: seine twenty married
couples, with at least five children each—in all about 120
'individuals, without any settled habitation within the
bounds of the county,, seldom venturing. beyond it, and-
all living by systematic spoliation:. It is not too much.,
to say: b.at Is tad* of' thousands of pounds a-year are
levied on the inhabitants of Caithness by these, preda-
tory tribes, to-uaylothing of the large amount of public
money ex;ended in the punishment of crime committed
by them—there. being eight• at present ;in our jail, and.
several iividv_irgobig' penal merVitude elsewhere for crimes
committed within the county. Now, what is to be
done to cure so inonstrouS EH-evil, and: get rid- of;
a .tribe se' morally: pestilential and so expensive, to the
combiunityl Can nothing.: be done.. on behalf of
the one hundred and twenty Or more heathens that
are now lilting ja ,this; eouuty,. shut out; from
society, azd living in_ a condition of the grossest bar-
barism ' Here a field for. Abe exercise of .practical
and zeifyoie4ing ~philantliropy. One 'hundred and
twenty human beings caithness---7every.fortieth
t 4 Inhabitan,ousele.ss end .vaga
bonds;., iving, on ,plunder, ignOtait and ride,
sunk and sensual, unable to tell their' righthandTrem
the. left, randpauttiplying with a rapidirtlint is, nrnio-
lutely alarining The very idea of it is startling, and
ought to produce a deep impression on the public mind.
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