The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-11

money in proportion TO It's wealth and cir |
oumstRnces. The colony Is 10 protect itself
against internal connections and native tribes;
and il it requires assistance In doing so from
the United Kingdom, conditions may be i'm
posed in respect of such assistance The
right TO legislate upon various other sub
jects affecting the empire at large, such as
bankruptcy, insolvency, laws as TO copyright,
naturalization, etc, is reserved TO the crown,
and the powers of the local legislatures are
defined, and in some respects extended. As
TO independence, the colony is to have a
right to petition for it through its legislature,
and such petition may be granted by the
Grown. On the other hand, the Grown may
by proclamation force independence on the
colony if it fails to fulfil it's obligations.
Such is the general outline of Mr. Thring's
scheme, and as far as it goes it appears to us
admirable. II is of the last importance to put
the relations between the different parts Of
the empire on solid and genuine basis, and
to substitute, as far as possible, sentiment
based upon and Limited by reason for q con-
geries of sentiments which are very far from
being either reasonable or harmonious.
1t may, indeed, be said that the scheme
tends rather to facilitate the disruption Of
the empire than to consolidate it, inasmuch
as il provides a means by which that could be
legalized which the law as il stands would de-
scribe as high treason. Such criticism, we
think, would be unjust. Every one knows
perfectly well that no earthly consideration
would induce this country in the present
day to embark upon another American war;
If Canada or Australia proclaimed her in
dependence, she would not have to fight
for it. Surely it is better to recognize by
law that which already exists in fact, and
| to make arrangements now, when no
ones pride can be hurt by making them, the
want OF which hereafter might lead to the
| alternative between national humiliation and
civil war. We are, however, of opinion that
| there is defect in the scheme which ought
| to be supplied before it would operate to bind
| together the different members of the em-
| pire. For this purpose there will be required
not only clear definition of existing powers,
| but the creation of a machinery which does
not at present exist for investigating the COM
mon wants and giving expression to the COM
mon feelings of the empire.
| II would, Of course, be difficult to frame
| such system, but we do not think the diff
Guilty would be insupersble The main diff
Guilty of such schemes arises from the fact
| that those who frame them always aim at
providing a common legislation for the whole
empire; and beyond all doubt it is exceed
ingly difficult, not to say impossible, to deal
with all the questions which would be raised
by such an undertaking. We do not see, for
instance, how the points raised by Burke in
| ulb hpeeCueb hS 10 tHe quarrel WlUu America
| could be disposed of in these days more
satisfactorily than in his. Surely, however,
we ought not to forget that in the eye of the
world in which we live counsel is at least as
important as law: and though il would be
exceedingly difficult to establish a common
Legislature by which all the affairs
of the empire might be governed, it
would be easy to devise an Imperial
Council in which the different leg slatares
,,n1A h. I'D h,, l.
might be advised. Suppose that the legisla-
ture of every colony were empowered to elect
certain number of representatives who
should come to England, and there sit as
Privy Councillors in company with an equal
number of English Privy Councillors, pub
licly discuss different schemes by which diff
ferent sections of the empire might be of
use to the whole, and approve of drafts of
bills by which in their opinion Parliament on
the one hand, and the different local legisla-
lures on the other, might carry out the
objects in view; would not their recommends
tions have every chance of being accepted
They would, of course, have no legal power
until they had been accepted and acted
upon by the local legislature; but il
recommended by such body they would
be sure at all events to be discussed, and it is
eminently probable that they would be
carried. If the British Empire is to exist a
all, it must exist by the free consent and by
the hearty cooperation of the parties con
cerned. We must assume good faith anC
loyalty, for if they do not exist the whole
fabric must, and most assuredly will, fall Il
pieces sooner or later. But if we should make
that fundamental assumption, it must surel,
be regarded as eminently likely that such
body as the one which we have suggested
would make wise suggestions and that thos,
sugges tions would be adopted by the parties
concerned. Nearly all the disputes which
have at any time arisen between the colonies
and the mother country have been more o
less the result of mutual ignorance, ant
might have been avoided by the existenc
of any body which would really represent th'
, views and interests of both parties. In
formally the colonies have often had repre-
sentatives in England. Mr. Roebuck, if WI
are not mistaken, acted at one time as agen
, | for Canada, and within the last few year
this country has been repeatedly visited b.
gentlemen who, without any definite otiicia
{ | position, did nevertheless act and were re
, | ceiyed as being in very real sense indee'
! the representatives of Canadian opinion. Bu
! if. instead of coming merely as private pei
sons. and being received by the Secretary O
: State or by members of Parliament on tn
{ | footing of private friends, they had com
| as the public accredited representatives o.
: their colony, with suitable dignity and prope
8 official salaries. if they had met with othe
Y representatives of other colonies III an assem-
. | bly, like the House Of Lords or the Priv
8 Council, there to explain the views OF thei
n | constituents, and to discuss the measure
!. which by the united weight of the whole en-
a pire should be submitted to the Legislature
t of its different parts, their position woul
O have been far more digniied, and the result
a | of their visit very much more beneficial