Evening star., 1899-05-03
AFFAIRS IN ENGLAND
Dissatisfaction Over the Treatment of
the Colonies.
SHOWN TOO LITTLE CONSIDERATION
London Honors the Memory of
Lord BeaconsfieId,
REM A Rk ABLE WOMAN
Special Corresi ondence of The Evening Star.

LoNboN, April IL, 1881
The British mind is at present agitated
by the budget for the coming year. Taxes
are never popular, and while the budget is
more or less popular in England because
the income tax has not been increased, a
howl is raised in the colonies against the
unwisdom of British politicians in putting
a tax on wines and colonial bonds 1t is
the old condition of affairs over again. Sell
fishness Is charged against the home gov
ernment in making things easy for dwell
ers in Great Britain and forgetting the
claims of Greater Britain. The government
of New South Wales has instructed it's
| agent genera! in London to protest against
| those parts of the budget proposals which
will operate against the sale of Australian
wines in Great Britain and against the in
vestment of British capital in Australian
funds. The Canadian high commissioner
also protests against the tax on colonial
bonds.
The great difficulty that besets every min
lister charged with the task of imposing
new taxes Is that while he and his finan-
cial experts look mainly at the financial
results to be expected from their pro-
Jects, the public is prone to consider their
indirect effects, which may be, and often
are, social as well as economical.
Effects National Policy.
The present proposals have the misfortune
to touch, perhaps too nearly. more than
issue of national policy. They will be dis
liked in nearly all the wine-exporting coun-
tries. three of which, Spain. Portugal and
Italy. it is the interest of Great Britain
especially to Conciliate. That the con-
sideration of the good will of Italy should
not have been prominently in the minds
OF the ministry at the time when the bud
get proposals received the approval of the
cabinet is somewhat surprising especially
when 1t is remembered that at least one
member of the cabinet in the autumn pro-
claimed with all the zeal of a new convert
the doctrine of the intercOnnection and
solidarity between all points of the national
poIlcy. But 1t is even more astonishing
that in these days the interests and the
feelings Of the Australian cOlonists should,
IN regard to matter in which there was
no urgent need to choose the particular
solution which the chancellor of the exche-
quer has preferred have been either for
gotten or treated of account. The SEN
sllVeness of colonial feeling on tariff ques,
tlons Is one of the facts which might be
supposed to have most deeply impressed
Itself on the minds of every British politi-
clan during the last century and quar-
ter. 1t is not primarily a fiscal question
The famous tea duty was not in itself of
the slightest Importance, and was resent
ed because, through a trife, it revived in
the minds of the people of the thirteen
colonies the sense which previous events
IitiN al OliStu III them, tnat they were
being treated as full-hedged Englishmen:
that the Englishman at home drew dis
unction between himself and the colonial
AT the time of the American revolution a
great deal was said, and has been ever
since repeated, about political principle.
Colonial Interests.
Today the opinion is almost universally
professed among Englishmen that one of
the great aims of British policy, perhaps
Of air
cherish the unity of the empire. The senti-
ment of the empire is generally and sim
cereiy professed, yet the translation of that
sentiment into terms of prac teal policy is
constantly at fault among British states
men In every large question that comes
up, and that is not confined to the mere do
mes tic affairs of th4 British Isles A Brit
ism government has not merely TO consider
the rights, the duties and the interests of
Its constituents. the people of the united
klngdom, but also the duties the rights and
the interests of the several colonies and of
India. The government is elected and So
lected at home but it represents more than
the British electors; it represents the whole
empire. The British in the colonies
are not different from the British at
nome, and every statesman who wishes
can, by taking sufficient pains. get to
Know enough about any colony To he
aple 10 know the nature of the aims and
asplra tlons which he ought to consider
Inc junction of Great Britain in her smi,ire
Is TO be not a master, but a leader. In the
perpetual scramble of ambitions interests
ana FORCES that make up the current of the
world history. the British government has
10 play Oh behalf net of these islands alone
hut Of Crater britain A British states
man. to be fit for his work must always
have his eyes wide open to see the ,rboIa
game. and must never forget for whom ana
Tor Wnat he is playing. 1t is probable that
tne colonies will be appe ased at the expense
or foreign countries but this will he battar
niStS
some day be able to afford England very
important assistance in the insyitahle
struggle for empire that awaits her.
HOnOring BeacOnsfeId's Memorx
Hero worship as far as Lord Beacons-
held is concerned increases year by wear.
Inc statue of the late statesman in Par
hament Square, opposite Westminster Alb
bey is more profusely decorated each year.
and today London is yellow in the brilliant
sunshine with primroses. Nearly eyery
one wears bunch of the flowers Carriage
and cab horses and even omnibuses and
tradesmen's carts are decorated with them
The custom is universal and II seems as
though on this day all London had become
conservative in politics. 1t is really A
fashion, though, and is a welcome to
spring as well as a heroes day. Crowds of
people from every quarter of London and
from the country have flooded all day to
Parliament Square. Extra police guard the
statue and direct the traffic. The work of
oeGoratlng the statue began last night
ana TINS morning busy hands We're putting
the hnal touches on in celebration of Prim-
rose day. The plinth is enshrined in
bower of primroses picked out with flowers
Oh a deeper hue. The statue itself stands
IN a bower of laurel, while the whole itself
IS surmounted by huge coronet of prim-
roses Floral tributes have been sent from
a alI over the country as tokens of respect
Tor the memory of the statesman One
nuse box of growing primroses had come
from the Hon. E. R. Belilios of Hong Kong
ana bore the Inscription, God. protect our
empress queen V. R. l. Ever remembered
ior devotion to his queen and the honor of
his country"
A large shield of primroses with the
words Peace with honor worked in vio-
lets, was sent by the Constitutional Club.
while among the other notable contribu-
lions We're eXquisitely arranged wreaths
from the Bentinck Habitation East MaryIe-
bone of the Primrose League and the Dull
wien Constitutional Club. Quite an army
OF Hover sellers took up an early position
-bIIndrn6S of anil tHa;,r