The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-03

commerce, the people OF tne DTltlsh dependen-
cies are unable TO direct their labor and capital
10 the successful establishment of manufacturing
pursuits. Their ports are open TO the influx of
British goods of every description; for it is in
view of the possession of colonial markets for
her manufactures that Great Britain makes il a
point To found and TO maintain colonies. So
long as colonial produce had the benefit of dis
eliminating duties in British markets--so long
as colonial shipping enjoyed special privileges
over the ships Of other nations in the British
carrying trade-the virtual introduction of man
utacturing industry in the colonies was not felt
as a grievance of an intolerable kind although,
under any circumstances, it could not but retard
the development of the resources and the ener-
gies Of the colonies, and stint their natural
growth.
There have been of late 50 many manifesto
tons of discomfort on the part of some Of the
British colonies, consequent upon the changes
of policy referred to, that the attention of the
government has been called to a serious consid-
Grafton of the whole subject of the colonial sys-
tenn. The concentration of authority in the
colonial office in London, where the local wants
and interests and wishes OF distant people are
not likely to be well understood or sympathised
with, is believed by many to constitute the
tountain-head Of most of the grievanceso Of which
the colonies complain. strong party in the
House of Commons is moving for change of
system which shall assimilate, as well as it can
be done, the principle of colonial government
with that which controls and regulates the rela-
tons Of the Federal and State governments in
this Republic. The ministry are inclined to
| hold back, and to deprecate radical changes
The views of the colonial party, if it may be SO
designated, may be gathered in general way
| from the subjoined remarks of Sir WILLIAM
| WORDSWORTH in the House Of Commons:
81 PROPOSE" said he, "to copy the judicial system
| and the rules Of judicial procedure of the United
| States, in similar matters. Now, every one who
knows any thing about the system of constitutional
law pervading the United States of America, knows
that judicial system, by which constitutional law
is enforced, is in full operation both in the Federal
Union, and in every separate State of the Union.
For every State in the Union has State constitu-
ton, which is, to certain extent, the supreme law
Of the State, and which the State legislature is
bound to obey; and to enforce State constitution
| there is supreme State court, which can make
void any law of the State Legislature that is in
contravention of the State constitution. Besides
these State constitutions and State supreme courts
there is what may term the Imperial Constitution
of the United States, and the Supreme of the
United States, which can make void any part of
State constitution, any law of State legislature
| or any law Of Congress, which is in contraven-
ton of the Constitution of the United States. need
hardly tell any honorable gentleman who knows
| any thing about American law, or has read the
works of Mr.. Story, or the commentaries OF Chan
cellor Kent, that this Judicial system has worked
admirably in the United States for the last seventy
years, and that the decisions of the Supreme Court
of the United States are Of the highest authority
| and are quoted as such in our courts of law.
every one who has studied the subject acknowl-
edges that, far the division of the powers of
government is concerned, the Constitution of the
United States has worked well for the last seventy
years. Therefore ] am entitled to infer that my
constitution for the colonies which, as far as the
| division of the powers of government is concerned,
is similar in principle and machinery to that of the
United States, will also work well. II seems to me
that there is striking analogy between the system
| OF government Of the United States and what ought
to be the system Of government of our colonial en-
pre. For the United States is a system of States
4 SiuS'cicu iouhu Celuhi hcpuDnC. our colonial
empire ought to be system of colonies clustered
round the hereditary monarchy Of England
As to the practicability of introducing and
successfully applying in any colonies our prin-
ciples of general and local administration,
which work so happily in the United States,
II would require fair experiment to prove it
before we should be disposed to believe that il
| could be done under monarchcal institutions
| IL it should succeed, it would be as a step TO
wards independence; for it is impossible to re-
concile those principles and habits and instincts
of self-government, and of repugnance TO an ar
bitrary exterior control which such institutions
as ours generate, develop, and confirm-it is
impossible, we say, to reconcile these with de
pendence upon distant government which
claims by an inherent authority TO rule over CO
lonial subjects under a system Of policy which
may be adapted more to general interests than
TO their particular concerns.
We refer to this subject merely as observers
Having been once under colonial relations to
Great Britain-we speak in the name Of our
charlottesville course Of England towards her
colonies now, and the probable results of il, one
way or another, cannot but attract our notice
and give rise TO feelings of some interest.