CO885-5 — Page 580

C.O. '8855

Printed for the use of the Cabinet.

Miscellaneous, No. 82.

DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE WITH THE COLONIES.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

NOTICES OF MOTION.

The Lord Kenry (E. Dunraven and Mount-Earl). To move to resolve That, in the opinion of this House, it is desirable that the Colonial Governments be invited to send representatives to a Conference to be held in London to consider the advancement of trade within Her Majesty's dominions, and the formation of a fund for certain purposes of Imperial defence: [Thursday 12th February].

Mr. Howard Vincent,-Colonial Conference,-To call attention to the growing desire of the Dominion of Canada and other Colonies to enter into closer commercial relations with the mother country and with each other; and to move, that, in the opinion of this House, an early opportunity should be taken of inviting the self-governing Colonies to confer with the Imperial Government upon the best means of developing the trade of the Empire: [Tuesday, 17th February].

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EXTRACT from the PROCEEDINGS of the COLONIAL CONFERENCE of 1887.

IMPERIAL CUSTOMS TARIFF.

Sir Samuel Griffith (Queensland.)—On Friday, when the question of Sugar Bounties C.--5091, was under discussion, there was, I think, an unanimous consensus of opinion that it was Vol. 1, the duty of the Governing Bodies of the Empire to see that their own subjects had at PP. 462, 163. least an equal chance with the subjects of foreign countries in the matter of trade. The question that I should like to submit for consideration to-day is whether that conclusion ought not to be carried further-whether it should not be recognised as part of the duty of the Governing Bodies of the Empire to see that their own subjects have a preference over foreign subjects in matters of trade.

There is no doubt that the bond of material advantage is a very strong one; it ought not to be considered the highest motive, but it is practically a very strong and important consideration. I do not suggest for a moment that the time has arrived, if it ever will (which I doubt), for an Imperial Zollverein. That would interfere too much with the fiscal systems of the Colonies, and with their revenue and expenditure. But I do maintain that if the unity and solidarity (to use a French expression) of the Empire were thoroughly recognised, not merely from the teeth outwards, as Carlyle says, but recognised as the pervading sentiment to govern us in all our acts as an Imperial Power, the subject that I am calling attention to would not strike any one as being very strange, as it probably now does strike some people. To give any preference to British subjects would of course be inconsistent with the great maxim that Mr. Service referred to the other day, the great gospel that the first end of man is to buy in the cheapest market. I am not going to venture into the deep waters of Free Trade and Protection; but I maintain that buying in the cheapest market is not the greatest consideration in the world that, after all, that or any other system of fiscal policy can only be adopted as a means to an end, the end being the prosperity of the country to which we belong. That, I maintain, is the first end of every nation to establish and maintain the prosperity of its own people, If that can be best done by buying in the cheapest market, and insisting that that shall be done, by all means be it so. But if buying in some other than the cheapest market would conduce more to the prosperity of the Empire, then, as in all other matters, individual liberty must yield to the general good of the whole community. All government, I suppose, consists in a surrender of individual liberty in some particulars for the benefit of the whole community. I am not sanguine enough to suppose that anything is likely to be done just now; nor do I suggest any interference in the least degree with the tariffs of any countries, or that it should be insisted that any country should impose a

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