Page:Australian views of England.djvu/64

  so the House of Commons rose after its first day's sitting in 1862.

Dr. Lang has received a powerful advocate of his theory of Australian independence in no less a personage than the popular Oxford professor, Mr. Goldwin Smith. In the latter end of January a letter from Professor Smith appeared in the Daily News, boldly advocating the absolute emancipation of all the colonies of England. The Times took up the subject in a leader extending over two columns, but utterly failed, as every candid reader must admit, to meet the Professor's ailments. Several other journals have entered with more or less freedom into the discussion. A few days ago Mr. Smith replied in a letter of striking ability, in which he scornfully says that the Times&apos; article "contained not a single relevant argument or fact of any description," and in which the whole question is argued with closer reason and more lucid statement

Mr. Goldwin Smith is a very important man, and has, perhaps, a larger following of young minds than any man at Oxford or Cambridge. His bold adherence to colonial emancipation cannot be treated lightly.