The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-04-17
England and her Troubles.

burn ana plilaSc. nc llihc ioE Sc'c!c
restriction has certainly come.
England and her Troubles.
There is trouble in the English colonies
Newfoundland refuses to conform to 4
treaty made between the mother country
and France in regard to the fishery ques-
ton. and the several Australian colonies
have formed kind of confederation which
they call "the Commonwealth of Austria
lia." They held convention at Sydney
the capitol of New South Wales, and
adopted n compact or constitution more il
accordance with that Of the United State:
than with that of Great Britain. They arc
to have Governor General to be appointed
BIZ the Queen, though the Governors OF
several colonies are to be chosen by then
Parlaments respectively, instead OF the
! Crown as heretofore. Seven Ministers
are to constitute the council which vii
resemble our cabinet; and there is to be
an upper and lower House of Congress
The Queen may ovcrrulc the decisions OF
the Supreme Court and may veto acts OF
the Parliament. All of the colonies have
entered the compact except New Iceland
and there is to be an army and navy
most significant feature of the move
ment.
On the heels Of this cones the news
that Newfoundland refuses bait to al
| Canadians, but American fishing vessels
are welcome. There is not only Il diff
ercncc between that colony and the
mother country but between that colony
and Canada.
In extensive portions of India the ma
tiyes have risen in open revolt and there
has been massacre Of troops in the En-
glish service.
Many years ago an eminent British
statesman asked in substance, why Eng.
land was developing and building up these
colonies? care We preparing them tc
wrench themselves from us under tho
leadership of their Washinstons?"
The question is now becoming impor'
tant. The idea of local government j,
growing so strong that it begins to move
in the direction of entire independence
Can the British empire be long held TO-
gether under the growth of modern
thought and aspiration?
There is a graveyard Of nations as we'll as
of individuals On the banks of the llbcl
q small band laid the foundations Of Tho
ancient London. They raped women anc
made them wives; they made their former
husbands subjects; they conquered neigh
boring tribes and nations until Rome
became mistress of the world. Her le-
cions invaded Africa and Asia, conquered
the three parts Of Gaul, landed i'll Britain
and its said, Julius Cesar constructed
the first battlcments Of the Tower Of Lon
don-that grand, solemn, frowning pile
every stone Oh WHICH tccllS Will HiStoA'N
memories.
But province after province was
wrenched from the imperial city; and
finally it too fell and was sacked hy bar
barans. 1t still exists; but its prestige
and glory have been buried beneath the
accumulated dust of ages, and now the
pick of the archcologist is digging down
to find the statue Of Pompcy and the char
lot Of Cesar.
Modern movements are more rapid than
those OF ancient times; and if England has
commenced her decline, may she not fall
even faster than her Latin ncighbor?
There is no doubt of the fact that The
vital principle is yet strong within her
The symptoms arc not such as to war
rant the anticipation Of the early par
ceiling out OF her empire among her rivals
or the immediate revolt and independence
of her colonies. 1t is not safe to fancy the
lion quite dead He is certainly not al
animal to be monkeyed with YET awhile.