New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-10
ENGL1NUs COLOYT1Z POLJcy

The leading English papers which come to us
this week are filed with discussions of the
colonial policy of England provoked, it would
appear by certain speeches made at the last
Lord Mayors banquet The policy urged in
these speeches was distinctly THAT of an In
perial federation. The Colonial Secretary,
Lord Kimberley, rose to a fervid but vague
after dinner peroration in explaining how the
glory of the colonies heightened that of the
mother country. The Lord Mayor was more
practical and definite in pointing ont that not
only the glory but the pocket of Old England
was reinforced by the contributions of these
enormous limbs of a small body. She was con-
tronted, he said, on every side by hostile tariffs,
and it was not likely that free trade, the inter
national law of the Almighty would soon be
| admitted by other countries. Hence England's
true policy was to build up her colonies in order
to furnish customers for herself III other words,
to send her emigrants to India or Australia,
where, as British products and manufactures
are admitted duty free, they must buy them,
rather than To the United States, where a duty
is exacted on British goods and consequently
the new emgrant- citizen will not buy them.
fool though he runs may read the motive of
policy like this.
1t is amusing to read the criticisms of the
English press upon it and the remedies pro-
posed for the disahection of the colonies, which
is now become too palpable a fact to be longer
ignored. The Globe denominates the Lord
Mayors the "Ony true policy by which the
union with the colonies can be upheld The
Daily AelCS recognizes the recent pcrceptible
loosening of the bonds between the mother
country and her dependencies, and attributes
1t wholly to deplorable and mistaken belief in
the colonies that colonists are socially looked
down upon in England, and that these great
outlying possessions are used by Englishmen
as a kind of hospital for scampish sons and
penhiless younger brothers a repairing shop
for broken regulations. These too sensitive
subjects, it urges should be recalled 10 their
allegiance by hospitality and social attentions
from Englishmcp to coionsts visiting London.
Invitations to Lord Mayors dinners and the
like gayeties, it hints, cheap bat effective
methods of strengthening the bonds between
them. The Standard would resort to even
more extreme measures; the Prince of Wales
should be sent over on visit to lure them back
by his fascinating and engaging manners. A
month or two of his amiable presence, it is posi-
tive, would secure Australia to the British
Crown for another fifty years The present
visit of his boys may do much, but it is not a
certain remedy for existing troubles.
In word, the whole tone and temper of these
journals show that the English regard their re-
latlons with the colonies purely from the Eng
llsh point of view. They ignore the fact that
there Is another point from which to look at the
matter, exactly opposite and separated from
their own, not only 10y half the circumference
OF the globe, but by totally diverse popular in
terests aims and prejudices, and that it is upon
that point the Canadian and Australian stand.
Her colony, whether it be America, Australia.
India or Canada, has always been to England
merely COW to be MIXED, even to exhaustion.
Tor her own sustenance. The policy which the
Lord Mayor urges is in fact that as the animal
Is almost exhausted now it should be fed in
order that 1T may yield a better supply.
Australia" he says, CONSUMES British goods
at the rate of fS rs. worth per head
while the1 United States consumes only shiIl-
ings worth per head" He does not ask. WHY is
this diilercnce9 But the Australian. who is no
fool, will ask it and answer it. 1t is because
the United States has closed her ports ia FREQ
trade and hence furnishes her people her own
manufactures, making them producers as well
as consumers. The Canadians have been
shrewd enough of late years to initiate orr ex
| ample. Australia and other colonies will
doubtless soon protect themselves in a similar
way, by putting tariff on English manufoc
tured goods. Then what will become of fine
beautiful theories propounded ut the Lord
Mayors banquet