The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-05-11
England's Colonies.

The great orator and statesman of the
last century, Edmund Burke, once boast
ed that England rules over an empire ION
which the sun never SETS" He meant
that, throughout the twenty-four hours,
the sun in his course was shining upon
some part of the British dominions, and
that in every part of the globe were to
be found countries aud colonies which
acknowledged allegiance to the British
Crown.
This is even more true to-day than it
was when Burke made the famous vaunt.
Since his time, England has gone on send
ing out and establishing colonies here and
there, until now that right little, tight
little island" holds sway over no less than
one-third of the surface of our earth, and
Queen Vicioria's subjects comprise nearly
a fourth of its entire population.
England, indeed, has been the greatest
and most successful mother of colonies
among modern nations. She has rivalled
Rome in the creation of colonial cOmmu-
mites, and has spread her power, as Rome
did, by planting little nations of her own
people wherever she could get foothold.
Other modern nations have attempted
to create colonies, but this has usually
been without success. Holland, Spain
and Portugal, have to some extent sue
ceeded; for the Dutch still have flourish
ing colonies in Java and Sumatra; the
Spanish colonized Mexico, Central Amer
lea, and many parts of South America;
and the Portuguese once had powerful
colonies in the East.
| France, Germany and Italy, on the 9TH
| er hand, have never been successful in
making colonies; and the United States
have never as yet tried the experiment.
The possessions of England over the
globe comprise an area of four and half
million of square miles, thirty times the
area of the Island of Great Britain itself.
The terribly contained in British Amer
lea is much larger than that included in
the United States. England rules over a
million square miles in Asia, and two and
a half million in Australasia.
On every continent, her flag floats over
some colony or province; aud in all, she
has no less than thirty-nine colonial prov
inces and groups. In Europe, she holds
| Gibraltar, and the Islands of Malta and
Heligoland; in Africa, the Island of AS
cension, the Colony of the Cape Of Good
Hope, the gold coast Of Guinea, Mauri-
thus, Natal, and other places; in Asia, the
Islands of Hong Kong, Ceylen, Labuan
and Parim, besides the mighty Empire of
India, and number of settlements in
China and the archipelago; in Austral-
asia, Australia, New Zealand, New South
Wales and Feejee; in America, all the
territory north Of the United States ex-
cept Alaska; the Bermudas and Bahamas,
Falkland Islands, Jamaica, Guiana, Hon
duras, aud many islands.
For over two hundred and seventy
years this system of cOlonizing has been
carried on by the English. AS long ago
as in 1905, she took possession of the
Windward Islands; and she is even now
adding to her list of colonies on the Afri-
can coast.
The English colonies are divided into
three classes, according to the way in
which they are governed. The "crown
colonies, among which are Jamaica, most
Of the African settlements, and India, are
governed entirely by the home govern
ment at London, which makes and exc
cutes their laws.
The representative colonies" among
| WHICH are luc DcIiuuudS, ANdtdl, uuu
Western Australia, have their own Par
liaments, while the home power appoints
all the officials. Finally, the colonies
with Irresponsible governments" which
include Canada, the Cape of Good Hope,
and the Australian colonies, not only
make their own laws, but appoint their
own officers, the Crown being represented
by a Governor, or Governor-General.
There has been u great deal of discus
sion in England during the past few
years, whether it is not best to give such
colonies Us desire it their independence.
Nearly all the English colonies, indeed,
have now free institutions, and are prac-
tically independent; they yield little pc
cuniary profit to the home power, while
that power has the burden Of defending
them from attack.
The general conclusion seems to have
been reached that when the colonies
themselves desire to dissolve the bond be-
tween them and the mother country, and
become nations, the latter will not object
but the colonies are slow to give up the
advantage of British protection froT as
sault, and as yet, none OF them have
shown very earnest disposition to be in
dependent Youths Companion.
CURE by LAUGHTER.-Laughter has