It is the greatest possible mistake, we maintain, to affirm that for the purposes of defence it is necessary to have a representative taxing body to control a great Imperial army and navy. Granting that it is essential to England's commercial and naval supre macy that she should have command of the great colonial naval and coaling stations, is it not the case that she enjoys these advantages at the present time ? The Dominion of Canada now spends large sums annually on military purposes. The Australian colonies are doing the same thing. Melbourne and Sydney and several of the other Aus tralian capitals are now strongly for tified. New Zealand ha. not grudged the money which has, under the advice of our late Governor, been so freely spent in fortifying our principal ports. Besides in some cases organ ising local fleets of their own, the Australian colonies have willingly agreed to bear the cost of a large in crease of the Australian Squadron. With our ports securely defended, with a powerful fleet kept constantly in these waters, the fighting power of the Imperial Navy will be enormously strengthened in the future. Ail that the advocates of Imperial federation picture aa the outcome of their pro posals we enjoy, it appears to us, already. And as in the course of years larger sums are spent by the colonies in perfecting their defences on laud and sea, in the same proportion will England be able to present a solid front to her enemies in any quarter of the globe. The mistake the Imperial federationists make, in our opinion, is in assuming that there are only two possible solutions of the problem— Imperial federation or disintegration. In making thisassumption we think they are utterly mistaken. The Empire cannot be kept together by any paper constitution that c&u be devised, any more than it can be maintained by force. Self-interest and sentimeat combined can alone be relied upon to accomplish that object, It is not for us to predict what will be the outcome of events iv the not distant future. Circumstances may occur at any mo

ment which may precipitate important changes in our relations with the Mother Country. As long, however, as colonists entertain their present sentiments of loyalty, we may be sure that a way will be found of solving each difficulty as it arises.
