New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-30
COLONIES AND EMPIRE.

To-day the Colonial Minister entertains the
Colonial Ministers, and tomorrow and on sue
ceeding days the latter will hold the centre OF
the still brilliant stage, as they Formed alter
Her Majesty, the centre and elimination OF
the Jubilee procession 1t Is all most proper.
II was with characteristic felicity that Mr.
Lucy, in one Of his graphic cable letters to Inc
Tribune, spoke Of Emperor Joseph ChamDer'
lain" With similar inspiration The Tribune
long ago called Mr. Chamberlain the Imperial
Minister. For the British Empire Is above all
else a colonial empire. Technically, Her Maj
csty Is to be called Empress only IN lndia. 'aut
India Is in fact not the real empire, or not moro
than a small part of 1t. The empire that makes
the name of Britain great Is the Brltish-setued'
Englishepeaking empire in Northern Amtaica
and Southern Africa and Australasia-lands OF
the colonist and Of the "native-born."
That Is the empire which the Colonial Minis
ters represent, and with which the Colonial
Minister has to deal. The old notion OF colo NAL
ism has passed away-that colonies were sub
iect territories to be worked for all they were
worth" for the sole advantage Of the mother
country That notion lost England the Thirteen
Colonies and will never be revived The new
doctrine is that the colonies are independent
States, united with the mother country only by
for their own advantage That is entirely true.
There Is no question that the colonies are bet
ter off as members of the British EmIdre than
they would be as separate States. 1t Is the
height of imperial Craftsmanship to keep them
80. and to that height Mr.. Chamberlain seems
to be determined to attain. His first long step
toward it was his proposition Ito improve the
neglected estates Of the empire" to bring,
through British wealth, prosperity to those colo
MES which had fallen into unprosperous times
through their too great contributions to that
very wealth. The bond Of material interest -
n strong one Convince a colony that Its pros
r.eritv is Increased by connection with the
mother country, and will be more promoted py
continued atfiliation with her than in any other
way, and its loyalty is assured. Other griev'
ances there were in plenty, but 1t was the finan-
cjal grievance that brought Massachusetts ana
Virginia to the climax Of revolt.
The second step is worthy Of the first 1t Is
rallied Mt and derided. even by some Engnsn'
men, though by more would-be Englishmen OUT
of the empire than real ones In 1t. But despite
all criticisms the imperial customs union
scheme Is making progress, and Is seen 10 DC the
only logical sequence to the political union al
ready established, and the only promising as
surance of the latters permanence. The trend |
of British public opinion during this jubilee
season IS. as reported in the lucid and convinc- |
ing letter of our London correspondent pub
lished yesterday, decidedly toward such union
1t was, under happy auspices, at dinner OF the
Canada Club In London year and three
months ago that Mr.. Chamberlain hrst DELL
nitely put forth his mighty scheme. To-Day
people are trying TO misQuote the Prime Minister
Of Canada against it. but the fact abides that
Canada under that Prime Minister, has taken
the most important Of all possible steps toward
the execution Of that scheme. CANADA estaD-
fishes. through discriminating duties, practl-
cal customs union with Great Britain, ana oe-
mands that no British treaties with allen
Powers shall be allowed to interfere with IT, AS
Mr. Ford we'll puts 1t, Mr.. Laurier has piped
the music and the other Colonial Ministers
must dance to 1t.
One other colony, and only one is represented
to be hostile to the union. That is New South
Wales But, as may readily be seen, that COL
ony furnishes one of the strongest logical Argyll
ments in favor of 1t. Mr.. Chamberlain wants
all members of the empire to abolish tarlhs
against each other and to impose them, II needs
he and according to their needs, against the re-
majnder of the world. AS the bulk or their
trade is inter-imperlal, that would mean the re-
linouishment Of the bulk Of their customs reve-
nues. creating a deficiency which must other
wise be filled. But that would mean only a
slight fiscal disturbance to most Of them. In
New South Wales. for instance, only about one
fifth Of the revenue comes from tariff duties IN
all Australasia less than one-fourth; III South
Africa, less than one-fourth; In Canada, under
the old tariff, perhaps one-half, but CANADA mas
lust adopted q new tariff constructed largely
on Mr. Chamberlans lines. There can be no
question that inter-imperial free trade could
be established without embarrassment to colo
NAL finances or to colonial industry and COM
merce.
II might be a bad thing, on the face Of It, for
the United States and for the rest of the world.
1t probably would. But that fact Is not likely TO
count against it in the British mind. 1t would
be a good thing for the British Empire, and that
is the weighty consideration. Moreover, IL
would be q measure Of which the United States
would have, on principle, to approve, for II
would be the adoption by the British Empire OF
the identical system that prevails IN THIS he
Trade at home, Protection against
all outsiders. year ago Lord Salisbury was
non committal, and the Duke Of Deyonshre dis
countenanced and deplored Mr.. CnamDerialns
Canada Club proposal Now the former con-
fesses the inequity and failure Of the present
system, and the latter. hitherto a tower OF
strength to the Manchester school, pronounces
what is well described as funeral Grafton upon
Cobdenism. 1t is n fitting finale of the Jubilee
that the fantastic follies Of the opening OF the
reign, with their unfulilled and unfulflllable
fancies, should be laid aside, and the seventh
decade Of the record reign be marked with
return to sound commercial principles. 1t will
be not the least of the glories OF the Victorian
era to have made the empire commercial as
well as political and dynastic unity.
HAND WORK FOR STATE.
The conception of the State as mich COW
oil DouilliStiN rnNiOQq