March 10, 1900.}
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
tariff to China is, as we know to our cost, almost prohibitive, and commercially and politically we suffer in consequence. An independent line to Australia is likely to be followed by an independent line to China, and it is apparently to strangle this that the concessions to Australia have been dangled in the public eye. We may well apply to ourselves the old caution, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.
AUSTRALIA AND THE EMPIRE.
the responsibility, and even to reduce to ren sonable limits its tariff, informed the British public that it could not afford to lower its tariff and would not be coerced into doing 80. Whence this change of face? It is un- fortunately too plain. Less than a year ago the Eastern Extension thought it had a monopoly of the communications with the Far East and Australia, and, when certain obligations were spoken of and the injury to British interests and British trade were pointed out, made a reply which scarcely rose to the level of ordinary courtesy. It held certain concessions, it informed us,
(Daily Press, 5th March.) which prevented any encroachments on its Not the least interesting and important territory, and it could not afford to make | event of the nineteenth century will doubt any reductions whatever. The question of less he re orded in history as the birth of the Imperial interests it did not deign to take into Australian nation. The national delegates consideration. Pride, the old philosopher told to present the case to the Imperial Parlia us, cometh before a fall; at all events the ment have already been appointed, and by Colonies of Canada and Australia were de no means the least striking feature in the sirous, in view of the approaching federation Queen's Speech at the opening of the present of the latter, to have some more certain and session was the announcement that, amongst direct means of telegraphic communication the other measures to be brought forward, than the Eastern and Eastern Extension would be the formal acceptance of the Companies were willing to grant them. Føleration as an accomplished fact. Seldom Their approaches to the representatives of has the world witnessed so fortunate a birth. the companies were met by an unbending non
Australia has almost ralised the myth of possumus, and no hope of any amendment was the birth of Minerva springing all-armed held forth. In the circumstances, the Colonies From the brain of Jupiter. Like other great came to the wise resolve of conferring amongst nations Australia has had her baptism of themselves, and the scheme of a Pacific cable blood; but that blood has been shed, not, ns recommended itself. The colonies were not in other cases, in internal struggles, but in op- bound by any engagements to the Eastern posing, side by side with the mother country, Companies, and they, after a good deal of the enemies of both. It is singularly ap trouble, succeeded in proving to the Home propriate that almost the last act of the Government the advantages to the Empire century should be devoted to the consolida- of such a line. But the Eastern companies tion of Australia, and that she should be had, unfortunately, some political influence; gin the twentieth as a young and lusty na- at all events the Home Government com- tion, proud of her vigour and able to hold up menced to see objections to meeting the her head without a stain amongst the Colonies in the way indicated and did its peoples of the world. Nothing has been best to shuffle out of its engagements. The more conspicuous in the early part of universal protest of the Colonies concerned, the century than the rapid while steady and of the Far East generally, forced growth of England's Colonial system, and the hands of the Government, and it was nothing has pr ved so conspicuously the arranged that the Home Government, in aptitude of the race for self-government. In conjunction with Canada and Australia, 1800 New South Wales was just twelve years should themselves undertake the line. Mat-old. It was the dumping ground of those ters were becoming serious and the Eastern lawless characters whom the home country Extension Company had to look to its lau- did not desire to hold, and whose previous rels. Apparently, on a hint from head- asylum in North America had been rendered quarters, it changed, by a sudden conversion, impossible by the separation of the United its tactics. If it could not destroy by a States. It was, perhaps, not a good begin- front attack the contemplated Pacific cable,ning, yet it was at the moment the only it would, by a side wind, accomplish the same end. Someone proposed a network of intersecting British cables all round the world, and no one could fail to see the advantage of such a network. It would however have been fatal to all such mono- polies as the Eastern Extension claimed, and matters were serious. The effect was a remarkable conversion-one of the most remarkable of the day. The Company which could not afford a reduction of a penny on its tariffs by its present lines, suddenly dis- covered that it could lay a new deep-sea cable without extra charge across the Bouthern Ocean, and even more than this, found that it could make it pay at a reduc- tion of nearly fifty per cent. in its tariff. All the arguments which had been adduced to prove the feasibility of a reduction met with confirmation in this most unexpected | quarter. But we have to learn more from the new action of the companies. It is more than ever evident that there are the seeds of a future success in the proposed Pacific Cable. The Eastern Extension's offer is the surest proof of this. If there were not the possibilities of a brilliant success, we may ask why the Eastern Company should spend at east a million sterling to burke the scheme? This question remains unanswered. But there is even more to be learned, Our
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government, and it is both curious and in- one by one were granted the right of self- structive to notice the different lines on which each developed. The whole were fortunate in having a common name, and ench, as well as in a wide sense being British, had the inestimable advantage of being par excellence Australian. It is curious to observe that neither the home country, nor its first offshoot in America has succeeded in evolving a national name. The "United Kingdom, is
ns artificial and in- appropriate a designation for a great nation, as the " United States." In forming the Dominion the Canadians were happy in being able to extend the name of the leading province over the entirity, but the Australians have found a name ready-made,. and already the race has evolved a`dis- tinctive character of its own, which, though fundamentally English, of stirling worth and purity, is yet distinct from either the home Euglishman or the Caundian. Still, without, there were differences which sprang up between the Colonies which though they differed less amongst themselves than any did from the ordinary home-bred English- man, still were becoming of importance. New South Wales was in many respects different from Victoria, and the man of Sydney reasoned on different lines from him of Melbourne. Queensland was still dis- tinct from either, and the Tasmanian and the South Australian again had slightly differing characteristics. These night have grown, and indeed did offer some difficulties and the way of complete federation. It is to be trusted that these all have now agreed to sink their peculiarities in the general well being, and it may be hoped that the first year of the Twentieth Century will see the new nation spring forth armed cap-a-pis and Empire. a worthy member of the New British
PORTUQAL AND THE CASE OF KING LIEN-SHAN.
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(Daily Press, 3rd March.) As the result of an interview with Senhor A. G. ROMANO, the Portuguese Consul Gen- eral, we have now some additional informa- tion as to how matters stand with KING LIEN- SHAN at Macao. The arrest was made, as we stated, on the 24th February; the beginning possible. Australia, a hundred charge was one of embezzlement while KING years ago, did not present itself as a likely was in control of funds of the Imperial field for voluntary immigration, and the Chinese Telegraphs (Shangbai Branch). possibilies are that, if not preceeded by some The Portuguese authorities, at the request step on the part of the government, the people of the Chinese Government, detained KING, of the British isles would never have found who has been committed to Monte Fort, and a praticable nucleus of a colony. It was not to the common jail. This detention no slight enterprise to found a colony in must continue until the Portuguese home unknown seas, at the other side of the Government has sent its instructions and world, and in a savage soil. The first set- also until the arrival of the documents from tlers required to be protected, and this at a the Chinese Government to prove the pri distance of nearly twelve months' journey soner's guilt. The trial will then be held. from home; and unless the government had We are assured by Senhor ROMANO that, gone first this was out of the question. The if it is discovered that the embezzlement magnificent harbours at what we Sydney determined the first site, but the Chinese with
now call charge is merely a bliud, contrived by the view of getting it was not for well nigh half a century this member of the Reform Party into their that any signs of advance were apparent. hands and executing him, KING stands in The discovery of rich deposits of alluvial gold, no danger whatever; Portugal does not indeed, was the first inducement to colouisa-recognize extradition for political offences, tion on any large scale, and this was soon fol- and nothing will remain but the liberation lowed by the partition of New South Wales, of nu inuocent man. If, on the other hand, and the formation of the colony of Victoria. it should be satisfactorily proved by the The age for decision had come. island of Australia seemed too large for that KING actually left Shanghai while in The vast representatives of the Chinese Government
a single administration and the colonies of possession of Telegraph Service funds, Queensland, South Australia, West Australia Portugal will only hand him over to the and Tasmania, each spreading from a single Chinese on the condition that they guarantee and having its own peculiarities, not to inflict a death penalty. As Senhor followed. The colonies even divided were ROMANO points out, Portugal does not found to large to manage from London, and recognize the death penalty, and even in
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