The earlier British colonies arose in the reverse order to those of Spain—the colonists went first, the dignitaries followed. Both Raleigh and Drake attempted to form settle ments in America, but unsuccessfully. The British race there dates from the reign of James I. of England. The settlers were privileged companies, with royal letters-patent, but, in reality, they were independent; and as they were dissenters seeking a place of refuge from what they considered the grievances of the established church and the gov ernment, they took care not to convey the grievance with them, as they would have done had they been actually incorporated with the British empire. The northern colonists, indeed, acted as if they were a sort of private corporation, occupying their own terri tory according to their own taste, and considered themselves entitled to prohibit any person differing from their religious and political opinions from entering their boundary. In later times, the example of Rome was more closely followed, and it became the policy of Britain, that any land acquired by her subjects by conquest or occupation, should be deemed to be held by them for the crown. This was strongly exemplified in New Zealand, where a body of energetic and spirited adventurers bad projected some thing like a new empire, of which they were to he masters. Some of them had pur chased large territories for a musket, a barrel of powder, or a piece of red cloth, and thought it hard that they should not be entitled to retain the fruit of their fortunate bargains. The crown, however, stepped in, asserted a supreme authority over the colony, and readjusted all its territorial rights, with a view to doing practical justice both to the natives and the settlers. There are many evils incident to any attempts at independent colonization, among which the chief is the cruelty and rapacity which it is the nature of such private adventurers to exercise against aboriginal tribes, and even against any other communities we ]ter than themselves who happen to fall in their way. The British colonists of the Amerrban continent and islands iu the 17th c. were robbers and pirates on a large scale, and became memorable in history by the name buccaneers. Colonists themselves, when they rightly appreciate their own interest, must see their advantage in the supremacy of the crown—or rather in that of the British parliament— for the crown is only properly supreme over a territory which has been taken by con quest from another civilized power. The supremacy implies a right to protection, much
needed by small collections of men in distant regions; and it may be safely predicted, that had an independent body of British settlers established themselves in New Zealand, 'their C., when it rose to importance, would have been seised by France, or seine other foreign power. After the example set by the United States, it is not likely that the supremacy will be continued after it ceases to be advantageous to both parties.
Many t regarding colonies have been dispersed by the progress of political economy. It used to be thought that the support of colonies at any price was an advan tage to our trade, since it is more profitable to trade with our colonies than with foreign countries, because, among other reasons, they can be compelled, by restrictions and monopolies, to take our goods while we take theirs, but other nations cannot, and may continue to sell to us without buying from us. We now know that the best trade for the country is that which the individual dealers in it find to be the best for themselves; and they will go where they can trade with most profit, whether to a C. or a foreign country. It was when the United States were rich and enterprising—not when they were our colonies—that we have driven the greatest trade with them. No doubt, there must always be two parties in trade; and let a nation be as energetic and enlightened as it may, it will have no foreign trade unless there be sonic other that can afford and is inclined to deal with it. If the population of the United States were displaced by red Indians, there would be a sudden collapse in the trade of Britain. For such a reason it is that we have an interest in seeing our own race—the most enterprising in the world— spread over its face. Every new British C. may be calculated on as a new market for our goods; and as it pecuniary speculation, it may be worth supporting a governor and a staff of officers•to tdhe charge of it,