men of the British race, with wants, feelings and desires similar to our own; and this I firmly believe might be accomplished by that plan of systematic emigration which was proposed by my honourable friend and to which I give my most cordial support.

EXTRACT FROM SPEECH AT LEEDS ON
THE STATE OF THE NATION.

FEBRUARY 5, 1840.

[The speech from which the following is an extract was delivered at a political dinner. It is noteworthy as containing a popular presentment of Molesworth's views on colonial questions. He had given offence to some of his supporters by his opposition to the Whig Ministry, and although the proceedings at this dinner appear to have shown much enthusiasm, he alienated a further section by his attitude on behalf of peace with France in the autumn of the same year, and retired from Parliament at the General Election of 1841.]

GENTLEMEN, the second set of measures,' by which, I said, the condition of the bulk of the population might be improved, is the extension of our commerce in every portion of the globe, colonisation and emigration. To the two last subjects I have especially turned my attention. I am convinced that colonies are of the greatest advantage to a commercial country like this, and that the wealth of this country is mainly to be attributed to the fact that it has established numerous colonies. Those colonies, being inhabited by men of our own race, with wants and inclinations similar to our own, have become the best markets for our industry, consuming our manufactures, and sending us back, in return, the peculiar products of their various climates.

1 The others were Free Trade and National Education.

In

proof of this, I need only refer to our commerce with the United States, which were planted by Englishmen, and still are, properly speaking, colonies of this country. For the use of colonies does not consist, as was formerly supposed, in governing them as subjects, but in trading with them as equals. We derive benefit from them, not by extending the bounds of our empire, but by augmenting the number of our markets. Every new colony is, therefore, of the same advantage to the whole empire, as a new and valuable customer to a tradesman in business.

Having made these brief observations with regard to the general use of colonies, I will say a few words with regard to the most important of our colonial possessions. The unhappy events which occurred in Canada are well known to you. They were brought about, in a great degree, by the mismanagement, misgovernment, and ignorance of the authorities of this country. I trust the affairs of Canada are now in a fair way to be satisfactorily settled, and that the people of that province will be reduced to a state of contented allegiance. Lord Durham has pointed out, in his able Report, the means of accomplishing this object, namely, by uniting the two provinces on fair and equal terms, leaving them to manage their own local concerns, and giving them responsible government. I will here observe that that Report of Lord Durham was one of the most liberal and statesmanlike productions which I ever read, and I confess, that, though I had studied almost every paper with regard to Canada, which had been laid before the House of Commons, till I read that

Report I never fully understood the condition of those colonies, and had fallen into errors which it has enabled me to correct. I am glad to find that Lord John Russell, as Colonial Secretary, and Mr. Poulett Thomson, as Governor-General of Canada, are both inclined to act in accordance with the principles of Lord Durham's Report; and if they do so, I for one shall be most ready to give them my support in Parliament.

The only other colonies of which I wish to say a few words are those of Australia, namely, New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. Having been chairman of a Committee appointed to inquire into their condition and the effects of the punishment of transportation upon their moral state, I have been deeply impressed with the great defects of that punishment, and with the enormous, the frightful moral evils which it has produced. I dare not now enter into the horrid and disgusting details connected with this subject. It is sufficient to say that it has been proved by indisputable authority that transportation has made those colonies perhaps the most depraved communities of civilised men in the universe. This is a lamentable fact, when the immense resources of those colonies are known; when their rapid progress in wealth, and their capability of becoming almost the best markets. for the production of our industry are considered. I have no doubt, however, if proper steps were taken, the present unhappy state of those colonies might be amended, and they might in a short time be completely purified. The measures which I think are necessary for this purpose are the immediate abolition of transportation, and so large

an emigration of persons from this country as would entirely swamp the convict population. This can easily be done without expense to this country. I will not, however, trespass upon your patience with regard to this subject, as I intend to bring it under the consideration of Parliament at as early a period of this Session as I possibly can.

I will now proceed to make a few observations with regard to emigration. We are, by nature, I may say, an emigrating people. Our ancestors came from the remotest East, and settled themselves in this country. Our relations and descendants from the same stock have already conquered large tracts of the wilds of America, and to them, I feel convinced, will ultimately be given the sovereignty of that vast continent from the Arctic circle to the furthest South. Men of our own breed are already scattered over the plains of Australia, rearing sheep, and that great island, not much less in size than the whole of Europe, will become the possession of tens of millions of the Anglo-Saxon race. Again, only last year, an expedition sailed from this country to found, what will be a thriving empire, in a fair and fertile island almost at the opposite side of the globe-I mean New Zealand. My brother1 has the honour of being one of the intrepid men who formed that expedition, and who have departed on the arduous task of waging war with the wilderness, and rendering it productive-productive of objects of exchange with us. He did it at my advice. He was a

1 Francis Alexander, born 1818, died 1846, from the result of an accident in New Zealand, when cutting down a tree. "He was the first cultivator in New Zealand."