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HOUSE OF COMMONS.—-MONDAY,…

THE COLONIES.

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THE COLONIES. Mr. SCOTT moved for a select committee to inquire into the poli- tical and financial relations between Great Britain and her depen- dencies, with a view to reduce the charges upon the British Trea- sury, and to enlarge the functions of the Colonial Legislatures. As furnishing motives for reviewing the existing state of our colo- nial policy, he urged the extent of our dependencies in various parts of the globe, the magnitude of the trade between tht-in and the mother-country, the large sums paid by the latter on their account, and the exorbitant and disproportionate cost of Colonial government compared with the expense wf Home government. He admitted that the duties whi< li devolved upon the colonial department were arduous and onerous; but. the dissatisfaction prevailing among the colonists was attributable to two principal causes-first. the altering their constitutions without their wiii; secondly, the refusing to them the right of self-government and self-taxation. He complained of the large amount .of arbitrary power lodged in the hands of the Secretary oi State—the capri- cious or uncertain exercise of that power and he warned the House, if the colonial department were still allowed to do. for the coionial legisiatures after its own whim, of the consequences winch a similar system had produced in North America. Mr. HA WEB pointed to the state of the House (scarcely 40 mem- bers being present) as a proof that Mr. Scott was not believed to be serious in proposing to require from a committee the disohaige oi functions so great and so various as those indicated by his niution. The impracticability ot such a task was his reason for meeting tinst- motion with a decided negative. He did not fear a discussion of this subject; what he feared was the misapprehension which-ex- isted as to what our colonial policy was, and he explained to the' House the different forms of government in the colonies, from the most perfect system, where the Executive Government);" depend- ent upon a majoiity in the House of Assembly, to those in winch the Co unci! consists of official persons, suggesting reasons why in some colonies there should be a limit to the principle of selt- goverriment, and in others that the Crown should possess a certain amount of direct control. Of the 43 colonies, 27 had, or \I..¡, about to have, representative institutions, some in a higher degree of perfection than others and he contended that our colon.at po- licy, upon the whole, would bear a comparison with that of any other empire, and reiiected honour upon this country. The chief causes of the discontent in some..of the colonies were measures of Imperial legislation, for which Parliament and lip; nation were really responsible, although the Colonial-office, which was (it; only organ of carrying them out, incurred all the odium. It hud been the policy of Lord Grey to extend the principle of local seli- governnienl in the colonies, and wherever a colony became L: kd for such a government, it would be readily conceded and with respect to patronage, colonial appointments were almost always made at the recommendation of the Governors, who were ¡i¡t.JII- selves selecied by Lord Grey upon public grounds alone, He (Mr. Hawes) firmly believed that the opposition offered to the Colonial-office in latter times arose in a great iiiea,u-c I ,:oirt per- sons who were disappointed in not getting those appointment-, to wlneh they looked forward. Mr. GLADSTONE agreed with Mr. Hawes that DO. good could arise from granting an inquiry into a subject so extensive and com- plex, in which a committee would find its hands so overloaded to prevent their arriving at any satisfactory result, He ag.-et-d, too, with Mr. Hawes in much that he had said with regard to the charges made against the Colonial-office, which was-but the organ of Parliament and of the general views of the Government, "lie did not, however, go the iuil length of the eulogy pronounced by him upon our colonial policy, which within the last 60 or To had been of a far less bendicial ehameter ban that adopted when the American colonies were founded. The great object of our policy should be to give the greatest development. to uur colonial system, and to fulfil the grand lunctions which Providence had assigned to this country so as to raise and foster infant commu- nities in different parts of the globe, and then then- political con- nexion with us wuthd subsist as long as such » connexion WHS beneficial to both. Mr. Gladstone admitted that the general errors of our colonial policy belonged to Parliament and: the state of public mind, not to the Colonial-office, much less to any particular Minister. Mr. ,\iANGi.p.8 coulvastecl the state of India, governed thrmiv'i to the colonies, which might be superintended uy a council posed of retired governors. Air. HUME complained that the debate had gone off from the terms of the motion, which he supported, thihkiVig it a proper one, thoogh the subject was no doubt complex..The "infjuny would discover the defects uf oue colonial system, and-Parliament could provide remed.es. Two-thirds of our military establishment were required for the colonies, which, ;f self-governed, would nut only tie more contented, but would pay the expense ot their own pro- tection, and the people of this country would be proportiouably relieved.. ,lr. ANSTEY, in supporting the motion,denounced: the Cu]on;a¡- I. ohice vvltieh he termed theanci-Coioniid-orrice — as a great pubic nuisance. ^The system of this office was the root of The malady, winch no Minister, even an archangel, could remedy, its maci" nery being managed by a se. ret clique, 'I he only cure for colom.J misrule was the abolition of that U11(ier tlfe old system of colonisation, commended by Mr. Gladstone, liuue was no colonial department. Sir W. MOLESWORTH contended that so far from our colom-;d system having approached perfection, as alleged by iMr.^Hatvex, there was a growmg impression in the country-' that that-svst.-ni had grave dclccts, and a growing distrust in the Qolouial-office, and lie enumerated recent otcurrences in the colonies —war,- ivIk i- lion, distiess, and extravagant expenditure—which showed that there were grave errors in our colonial pullcy. What were rei; eau:-es of these errors? Ignoivnee of sound principles of colonial policy, iiiat oi the means which ought to be applied to carry them out. A case was therefore establisdicd for inquiry but he thought a commission, composed of not more than fi.e persons well quaintcd with colonial questions, preferabie its a medium of inqiiny to a committee of that 1-1 i, u, e. Major BLACKALL opposed the motion, but recommended a course of kind and liberal policy, which should attach the colonics lU IIIL- mother-country by ties of affection as well as interest. After a reply from Mr. Scott, the House divided i<or the motion 31 It si lbjurity against tlie mot:on 47

SMITHF1 ELD MAEKET.

SUPPLY-VAN niKMLN'S LAKO.

.A' BITKATJON.