Birmingham state herald., 1897-07-11
 THE PARTING OF THE WAYS Canadians See Dissolution From England Close By. THE PlE;I1y OF BIRTHS  Is causO' 2 ,nch Lawmakers Much Worry Gigi $ Strike Threatened-Wondsr- 2 Spread of Catholicism.

To 6 |, July 10.-The Australian pre-
 miers Ire gradually letting the cat out of the bag in regard to the conferences they have had with the secretary cf state for the colonies, Mir. Chambrlain, proving the absolute failure of MT. Chamberlain's pet project for colonial representation at Westminster One who was present
 at these conferences said to a representa- tive of the Associated Press:
 When Joe embarked in this scheme as
 the one great step towards imperial fed-
 eration he was not aware, probably, that
 English sentiment is by no means ready
 for such a drastic change as to permit the colonials to sit in parliament. Eng land is satisfied with her relations with the colonieS but she is not satisfied that such relations can stand the strain when the colonies become of age and restive in
 their strength. Laurier put our views
 straight to Chamberlain when he said
 in the conferences:
 Canada is satisfied now with her re-
 lations with the motherland; but we are
 rapidly approaching the parting of the
 ways. When Canada has 1O.O00,O00 of
 people she will have attainsd her strength
 and unless she has then direct voice in
 the government governing her she must
 seriously consider whether or not she
 would be better off as an independent
 nation.'
 This is the same thought and conclu-
 sion reached by Australia. To put us
 in the house of lords is a simple negative and to put us in the house of commons is impossible in the present temper of
 the English people. To be shut up in
 room as an ornamental lot of council
 lors to whom nobody listens is what we won't have at any price,"
 Another curious remedy for the paucity
 of births in France is suggested by the amiable, scientific seaat rs, Guyot, Labbe and Berthelot, who have introduced a bill providing that all married conscripts will only have to serve a year in the ranks. The promoters of the measure express the opinion that the reason the men do not marry is because military service comes just at the time when youths naturally contemplate marriage, but they hope, by the offer of deducting | two years from their military service, to | entice large numbers into matrmony. In order to obviate the probability of | scheming coEscripts marrying in order l to escape being drafted Into the army l and then divorcing their wives at the | end of years service the bill provides that conscripts so acting will have to
 return to the army and complete their three years service.
 The issue at 21h of a loan amounting to f2,500,000 by the London county council, who fixed the minimum tender at par, em- pha sizes the rapid accumulation of float Ing c9pl-d Tn EnBlaTI.
 The Daily Graphic finds an explanation for the cheapness of money in the long period of peace, enabling both Europe and America to create wealth with tre- mendoue rapidity and to the great exten- sion of the pra:tfca of saving, through thes agency of savings banks and btfildng societies The dispute in the engineering trades seems likely to rank among the greatest
 labor wars. It is deliberate trial of
 strength Between the associated employ CTS and ther men. Trades unions are leagued to secure an eight hours day work At the present 1t is nine hours, and unless there Is some interposftion
 100000 engineers will be idle within a
 week. The tradss unions are prepared
 to spend fs5O,O00 of their reserve fund in
 support of their claims
 There Is great rivalry b-tween Emperor
 William and President Faure in the nsw ws-
 papers of their respective countries as
 ito which of them will get the most honor
 out of ahe visits to St. Petersburg On
 one hand 1t is said that the czar will ap- point President Faurt colonel of a Rus siam regiment, and another story has it that 400 workmen are constructing a ficating theater off an island in the Volga
 where the French president will be en- tertained with magnlfic mt perform ance, the stage to be illuminated by 5000 | electric lamps. On the ether hand the | German emperor is credited with design | to take the wind out of the sails of he | French by entering Cronstadt escorted l by magnificen1 fleet of ten warshps by which he hopes to give his visit the | character of trlumphlal progress. It is said thn. one of the principal fea- | turss of Mgr. Sambuce.ti's special report l to the pope on the growth of Catholicism | in EnglaEd Is the asitonishi conclusion l that the decrease of Methodism Is large 1 ly due to the transferrence of member. | ship in that body to membership in the | Church of Rome