The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-22 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, NOV. 22, 1866.

A grand complimentary dinner was given last
evening to the Hon. G. F. VERDON, Finance Minis-
ter of Victoria, on the eve of his departure for the
colony. Mr. VERDON has visited this country on
a special mission of no common interest. The
colony which he represents has always taken a fore-'
most part in the costly and laborious duty of self-
defence, and the object of Mr. VERDON'S visit
proves that Victoria does not intend to relax her
efforts. The Government of Victoria has asked the
Home Government to grant them one of the
wooden men-of-war now lying in our harbours to
be used as a training-ship for the encouragement of
a local navy. Also they have requested the
Home authorities to contribute the necessary
funds in addition to the contingent which they could
themselves offer, and the necessary designs and in-
spection to enable the colony of Victoria to possess
an armour-plated ship for the defence of her har-
bours and its immense commerce. The English
Government, we are glad to find, has promptly
granted both requests, for they were requests rea-
sonable in themselves and honourable in the motive
which prompted them. As Sir JOHN PAKINGTON
observed last night, Mr. VERDON had not come here
on the part of his Government. "On the contrary,
in the most honourable, straightforward, and
manly spirit the Government of the colony of Victo-
rig had come tothe Government of England and said,
if not in words, in a spirit which justified the lan-
guage—We have set an example to the colonies of
England ; we have not been sparing of our funds ;
we have not been sparing in our loyalty ; we have
exerted ourselves in an independent spirit to pro-
vide for the defence of our colony ; we have spent
large sums of money ; we have provided a volun-
teer force, we are now providing a naval reserve
force, and we come to you, the mother country, to
ask, not for anything we can do for ourselves, but
for that which we cannot do." We are glad to find
that the Australian colonies are beginning to form a
regular naval force. They have every facility for
doing so with the greatest success, and every
inducement to produce such a protection for their
rich and extended commerce. The spirit of the
people, too, is fully in accordance with the attempt,
and no doubt Australia will furnish ships and sailors
to compete with those of any nation. Already the
poet's prophecy is in process of fulfilment, when he
anticipated that the then almost unnoticed colony
would one day boast--

" Of navies, hoisting their embroidered flags,
Where shipless seas now wash untrodden crags."

The visit of the Victorian Finance Minister is fur-
ther noticeable, because it is the first time that any
Colonial Government has approached the Home
Government with a view to co-operation in a great
national work. In this respect, as in some
others, Victoria has set a worthy example to other
colonies, and we are glad to find that the visit of
her delegate to this country has been entirely suc-
cessful. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON and the Eail of
CARNARVON, who were both guests at the banquet,
represented the Cabinet very ably; and Sir JOAN
PAKINGTON, in his double capacity of Colonial
Minister of the Admiralty, entered very warmly
into the proceedings, and cordially expressed his
hope that the great and loyal colonies of Australia
might continue to grow and prosper. Mr. VERDON
has filled his office of Finance Minister for three
years, no inconsiderable tenure of power by a
Minister in the colonies, where the changes in ad-
ministration are more frequent than with them-
selves. Sir J. PAKINGTON paid a well-deserved
tribute to the great ability and high character of
the gentlemen whe had visited this country as colo-
nial representatives. He had found them, he said,
to be men well qualified to fill the highest positions
in any country. This compliment will be gratify-
ing to the colonists, and show them that they are
not underrated by the statesmen of the mother
country; but, indeed, England and her colonies,
like other nations, have arrived of late years at a
better mutual understanding.