Dr Dale's fourth article on his Australian tour appeared in the Contemporary Review on March 1. It gives his impressions on colonial politics, but will scarcely be accepted as one of the best of the series. Lord Knuts ford will scarcely relish the assurance that most Australians regard the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs as a more important per sonage than the Secretary of State for the colonies. Dr Dale declares that the colonists follow the developments of foreign policy with a vigilance which never sleeps, and that they discuss it with eagerness and excite ment. He considers there is a universal agreement amongst colonial public men that if. the empire is to hold together there must be some readjustment of the political relations between the colonies and the mother country, but confesses at the same time that no one has a scheme to propose, and that mischievous results would probably ensue if any serious attempt were made at present to construct a scheme. He emphati cally advises his fellow countrymen to dis miss wholly from their minds the traditional conception of the relation existing between the colonies and the mother country. The colonies, he declares, must be treated as parts of the realm—not as " possessions," and the colonists as members—not as subjects— of the English nation. On the subject of Governors and their functions Dr Dale has a good deal to say. He differs from Sir Henry Parkes in thinking that these appointments would be eagerly sought after by English politicians who. have obtained or are approaching , Cabinet rank. He does not think it would satisfy the ambition of such men to become Governors of even such colonies as Victoria or New South Wales. He admits that the Prime Minister of such colonies holds a very great position, but a Governor does not govern. He has to look on while other men do the real work: Dr Dale tries to imagine Mr Gladstone, 30 yearsyounger, asGovernorbf Victoria, shutup in Government house, "with his zeal at fever heat for the reform of the tariff, and for a sound financial policy " while Mr Gillies is expounding and defending the doctrines of Protection- in the Legislative Assembly. 