The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-27 00:00:00

that the possession of colonies was indispensable for the
circulation of the commerce of this country, for without
them we should be compelled to establish garrisons and
coal depots and maintain great naval stations all over the
world.

Observations were also made by Mr. BAZLEY, who
argued that the colonies were bound to rely for protection
chiefly upon their own resources.
Mr. CARDWELL said the policy adopted of late years
towards the colonies had established as a principle that
they were to be self-supporting, and with regard to the
civil service especially, if any vote were taken for them it
must be justified upon strictly exceptional grounds. As
to the colonial military expenditure, a committee had sat and
reported in 1862, and, in making certain recommendations,
had distinguished between such places as Gibraltar, Malta,
and Bermuda—the strongholds of the country—and
maintained for purposes not strictly of colonisation, and
those possessions which they termed colonies proper. Since
1862 arrangements had been made by which New Zealand
was to contribute a substantial sum towards its military
expenditure. In the Australia s there were scarcely any
troops, and similar arrangements were being made there.
The number of troops on the West Coast of Africa and in
the West Indies had been diminished. Hong Kong,
Mauritius, and Ceylon were in like manner required to
contribute towards their military protection. So that there
was scarcely one of the recommendations of the committee
which had not engaged the practical attention of the
Government, and in which some progress had not been
made. The Government highly valued the connection
subsisting between the colonies and the mother country,
and were fully sensible of the great advantages to the latter
of those great, free, enterprising, and industrious commu-
nities ; at the same time they expected from them that they
would manifest a spirit of self-reliance. Thus helping
themselves, and doing their duty towards the mother
country, they might confidently rely upon receiving her
encouragement and support.
Subsequently the house went into committee on .the
navy estimates, and discussed the vote of £527,985 for new
works, buildings, machinery, and repairs, which was
agreed to.

Certain votes were also taken for the civil service.
On the order for going into committee on the Dockyard
Extensions Bill,
Sir J. ELPHINSTONE moved that the expense of the
contracts for dockyard extensions to be authorised by this
bill would best be defrayed by terminable annuities, as in
the case of the fortifications under the act 26th and 27th
Vic., cap. 80.
The motion was opposed by the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, on the ground that its object was to de-
fray the cost of dockyard extensions, not by annual votes
of the house, but by having resort to the ignominious
expedient of casting the burden upon posterity, and
making it an addition to the public debt. The proposal
was a futile one, and he hoped the house would reject it.
Discussion followed, Mr. Corry, Mr. Bentinck, and Mr.
Lygon supporting, and Lord C. Paget opposing the mo-
tion, which, having at length been negatived, the bill was
passed through committee.
The other orders of the day and notices on the paper
were then disposed of, and the house adjourned.