CO885-(1-2) — Page 183

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference -

C.O.

885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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colonial or minor patronage is chiefly exercised by the Governors in favour of resident colonists.

The appointment of Governors is retained in the hands of the Crown, as well as those of certain principal functionaries.

But since Lord Grey has held the Colonial Seals, his original or new appointments have been few, his promotions numerous; and promotions, as regards the use or effect of patronage, are very different from making original appointments and selecting political friends for them. Four-fifths of Lord Grey's appointments have been promotions.

Assuming, however, for the moment, that the abandonment of our colonies came to be seriously agitated, these questions have to be answered clearly and distinctly by the promoters of this scheme.

The interests of England are the interests of

and commerce. peace

Would either one or the other be secured or improved by the creation of a number of small independent States in every quarter of the globe, but too weak to maintain their own independence? There is not a maritime Power existing against which they could defend themselves. It might be urged that Mr. Godley's plan of an offensive and defensive alliance with Great Britain would meet this danger. But, even granting this, is the Crown to be embroiled in every dispute which may arise between any one of these protected States and I concede say foreign Powers? Mr. Godley would the control of all foreign relations to the Crown; but this concession would not and could not pre- vent a cause of war where such large independent powers of government were conceded, and to States at such vast distances from the seat of the protecting Government. Practically, they would be inde- pendent; and laws affecting duties, shipping, the rights of aliens in the colony, which might be called local, would be laws affecting foreign countries, and would lead to explanations being demanded by

foreign Powers. Of whom is the explanation to

be demanded the Colony or State, or the British Government?

If the law in dispute were a local law, the Crown would have no right to interfere? If an Imperial

law, or considered so, when the dispute arose, by what means is the repeal or disallowance of it to be effected?

Some illustration of such disputes as might arise may be suggested by a reference to the case of the "Caroline" and Captain McLeod.

There, the acts of individuals in an independent

and confederated State, all but involved the United States and this.country in a war. This creation of small and scattered States over the globe, therefore, diminishes the security for peace.

But would trade be increased? Insecurity is the bane of commerce. A native war in New Zealand, or the Cape or Ceylon, would para- lyze trade at once, and inflict a deep injury upon the capital and credit of the Colony or State, and not only of the State, but upon English or Imperial capital and credit. Neither could trade be increased by any such scheme

of Colonial Government. The power of im- porting or exporting at any given time does not depend upon any form of Government; that far more depends upon an intimate union with this country, its capital, its credit, its markets, not alone at home, but abroad, and the general peace of the world.

It does not appear, then, that either a greater security for peace or any necessary extension of trade would be the result of an abandonment of our colonies. But the estimate of the value of Colo- nial Possessions adopted by Mr. Cobden may be contrasted with the opinions of Mr. Porter, whose authority is at least equal on this subject to Mr. Cobden's, and which may be fairly considered to represent the opinions not only of statesmen, but of a very large portion of the public. His opinion is as follows:-"If called upon to declare the cir- cumstance in the condition of England which, more than all other things, make her the envy of surrounding nations, it would be to her Colonial Possessions that we must attribute that feeling. In the eyes of foreigners those possessions are at once the evidence of our power and the surest indicant of its increase. A very different esti- mate of their importance is, however, made among ourselves. How often do we hear the value of D

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