THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[July 9, 1906.
line drawn must be as absolutely straight One scheme which was proposed is very at home, whose advice and experience as was humanly possible. The alternative justly objected to by Sir CHARLES BRUCE. would be precisely that which is most There are also many who was a deliberate curve, Nobody despairing It was proposed that the governors of wanted. of drawing a straight line need deliberately Crown Colonies should spend half the year may not have taken any part in public out here who nevertheless draw a curve; there is the line of least within the walls of the Colonial Office, such affairs
very valuable AS advisers resistance, But the mover and seconder governors still remaining the working would be
it would be a pity were all for the impracticable straight line. heads and personally responsible for the at home; and At any cost (to whom not sated) India administration of their respective Colonies, to exclude them from eligibility to serve must stop playing what Dr. RUTHERFORD | Upon this, Sir CHARLES pertiuently upon an advisory bod, such as is suggested. called "the Devil's game". He believed observes: "I am at a loss to understand· As a matter of fact such persons are in one that for every soul our missionaries sent to how the presence of a responsible governor way or another constantly consulted by the Heaven from China, the British Govern. iu any intelligible interpretation of the Government, when opportunity offers; and ment were sending ten to Hell by this term " within the walls of the Colonial there can be no reason, if an officially traffic. It was in reply to claptrap of that Office" is consistent with the constitutional recognised body of advisers is to be con- He stituted, why they should be excluded kind that Mr. MORLEY made his "states-position of the Secretary of State!"
in also points out that the duties of a governor
favour exclusively of ex-officials. manlike" speech; that he completely gave away the case, and weakly pleaded that involve deciding at once upon many ques- The institutions which Sir CHARLES BRUCE virtue was too costly at three millions tions that may arise. Buch a plan would suggests should be recognised, as above sterling of revenue. The obvious fetort is manifestly be unworkable even upon stated, as Departments of the Colonial that for a paltry three millions Great purely official grounds; but it is also Office are the Crown Agents, and the agents Britain is willing to be vicious, a statement pointed out that "apart from all questions of Medical, Botanical and Technical Intelli- that we do not accept, and certainly do not of departmental duties and routine, and far gence-the last two being some such feel grateful for.
above them, is the personal influence of the institution as the London and Liverpool governor, which can be gained in no other Schools of Medicine, and the Director of way than by tact, judgment and sympathy Kew Gardens respectively. The assistance exercised daily and hourly in a spirit of of such persons would of course be of great unselfish, devotion to the interests of the value, but this would not be by any means Colony and of impartial justice to all all that is required. What is wanted is a scheme which will centre round the Colonial classes of the community."
Office all the best information that is avail- able not only upon questions of development and the like, but upon the ordinary current affairs in the different Colonies; and in order to secure this end it would be well that the proposed Advisory Council should be constituted upon a sufficiently broad basis to secure the services of all persons having an intimate knowledge of Colonial matters, even though they do not happen to be presidents of any special institution, or ex-officials.
CROWN COLONIES AND THE COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Daily Press, 5th July.) In the Empire Review for May, there appeared an article written by Sir CHARLES BRUCE upon a subject which bas often been discussed and which will before long have to be dealt with in some effective form, namely, the manner in which the Crown Colonies can be best dealt with by the Colonial Office. The complaint is made, and not without reason, that there is a great deal of ignorance which might easily be avoided about matters not only in Crown Colonies but also in those having responsible Government, and that the COLONIAL SECRETARY is really dependent chiefly upon information and advice given to him by junior clerks in the Office. This is probably an exaggeration of the true state of affairs, as the information in question no doubt takes the form of calling attention to such matters as are on record, which is the ordinary form of procedure, and not peculiar to the Colonial Office. It can hardly be supposed that the juniors undertake to decide points that may arise themselves. But, admitting this, there is still no doubt that there is a want of grasp at headquarters of the bear- ing of matters connected with the Colonies and it is of great importance to the interests both of the Colonies and of the Empire that this state of things should be remedied. This is especially the case in regard 10 Crown Colonies, for the due management of which the Imperial Government is directly re ponsible.
The truth of these remarks will be, recognised by all who have had experience a residents in any Crown Colony. In practice, however, the matter goes even It is often very farther than this. important for the Colonial Office itself to be fortified by a direct expression of opinion from the responsible 'governor on the spot. Such a declaration is frequently a complete reply to faddist interference by bodies such as the Aborigines Protection Society, the Anti-Opium Society; the Anti-Chinese labour party, and others of the same class. The definite statement from the governor of the Colony concerned is in such cases a very valuable and legitimate weapon in the hands of the Colonial Office. If, how. ever, the Colonial governors were at home in the manner proposed, instead of at their posts, they would have far-ss power to hold their own against this kind of inter- ference than they (or even their deputies in their absence) have as the responsible administrators on the spot. In the latter position they become as it were skilled witnesses, and their opinions are accorded the authority that is due to them as such, which would not be the case were they only consulted by the Colonial Office at home.
should
the
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PAPAL INFLUENCE IN CHINA.
(Daily Press, 6th July.) It bas been suggested that the time has come when, as a means of doing away with some of the difficulties which have resulted from the protection of the Catholic Missions in China by France, a Nuncio should be appointed by the Vatican to Peking. This idea was thrown out by a correspondent of the Times, whose communication upon the present condition of China has attracted considerable attention at home. It is notice- without reference to the fact that a pro- uble that he speaks of the suggestion posal of this kind was made many years ago. by the Chinese authorities but came to After dealing with the need for outside
uothing. So far back as the time of the institutions being connected with
HURLINGHAME Missio, that is immediately Colonial Office to supply technical inforin-aftr China had set about establishing ation, the writer recommends that the hands It may be confidently expected that of such departments should receive the diplomatic relations with Europe, this very course was proposed to the Vatican. some arrangement will have to le made, status of Assistant Under-Secretaries and
The fact is interesting, both as showing the at home with a view to improving Colonial |
amount of importance which the Chinese administration generally, but what form this will take will have to be settled
attach to the subject, and also illustrating by experience. The first steps will most
the astuteness with which, at the very out. likely be only of a tentative character and will not bind the Home Government definitely to any hard and fast system until trial has been made as to what is likely to prove most effective. It is very easy to arrange for matters of this description upon paper, but it would be manifestly imprudent to adopt any new scheme in a way which would make it difficult to modify it or to dispense with it altogether should it not prove by practice to work satisfactorily. We make no doubt that the first steps that will be taken will only be as a means of putting matters in such a train that a complete system may be developed in accordance with what proves to be desir. able, and that any heroic measures for a complete change in existing arrangements will not commend itself for adoption.
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set
forin an Advisory Board in conjunction with other members selected on principles analogous to the Council of India- -or the "additional members" to the Council of the Governor General of India. He advocates that it should be an absolute condition that those eligible for the position should have held responsible office in Crown Colonies for a period of not less than ten years. With this last suggestion we imagine few in the Colonies will agree. The condition might well be that the members had been resident in a Crown Colony for at least ten years, but few will consider that it is advisable to restrict the as
held selection persons who have
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to
responsible office". This would in fact exclude some of the most valuable people to whom Government could have recourse for advice, among them in this Colony at least gentlemen who have been unofficial members of the Legislative Council, of whom there are always a certain number
of their official intercourse with the Courts of Europe, they sought to avail themselves of the opportunites which the establishment of diplomatic relatious offer- ed, in order, if possible, to find means of putting an end to a state of affairs to which they most strongly objected. At that time, the relations of France with the Vatican were very different from what they are in the present day. Anxious as it was then, it has always been, to establish diplomatic relations with foreign countries, the Vatican wisely abstained from any action in a direction which would have had the effect of alienating France, which was at that time regarded as one of the most Catholic countries in Europe. Matters, bow- ever, have very much changed in this respect, and it is not surprising that relations
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