The sun., 1897-08-16
The Last Echoes of British Fedora.
ton Talk.

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In the August number of the National
| Rerietr, under the caption "A Colonial
| Chronicle" we find record of the latest
utterances of the Colonial Premiers with
regard to imperial federation. A peculiar
| interest attaches to the declarations made
on the one hand by Mr.. SEDDoN, the Prime
| Minister of New Zealand, who thought
| that the colonies should send delegates to
| the British Parliament, and, on the other,
| by Mr.. G. II. REID the Prime Minister of
New South Wales, who would not listen to
the suggestion, but expressed the opinion
| that the colonies should be let alone.
Mr.. Seldom attempted to solve in this
wise the problem of giving the colonies
representation at Westminster, which has
hitherto baflied public men, He does not
ask for proportionate representation, which,
| inasmuch as the governing colonies
have collectively 100000 inhabitants,
would mean $50 members. All he requests
is that single representatives from each
colony or group of colonies should be sent
to the British Parliament, one from the
Dominion of Canada. for instance. one from
confcderated Australia, one from confed-
Grated South Africa, one from New Zealand.
and so on; each would represent his colony
or group of colonies as a whole, and not like
Premier, the particular political party
which happened at the time to be dominant
in it, These representatives of the colo
nies would correspond to the delegates
from our Territories; that is to say, they
| would have voice, but not a vote. Such
| spokesman of colonial interests would be in
the position of a French Minister, such as
| NJ. HANoTAUX, the present Minister for For
eign Affairs, who is not a member of the
Chamber of Deputies, but has the right of
addressing it on any subject connected
with his department.
| The National Rerie,U advocates Prime
Minister SEDDoN's proposal. and indi.
Gates the method in which it could be
carried out. The member for Australia,
| for example, would notify the Speaker that
bill was coming on affecting the interests
of Australia, and that he desired to lay
| his views before the House. He would
then be invited either to speak on
the second reading or in committee
! of the whole. Then, again, the Speaker
might notify the member for Canada that
the House was about to discuss an Irish
Education bill, and would be glad to have
| from him an account of the Manitoba
! School bill, as in some respects the prob
lens to be solved by the two measures
respectively resembled one another. 1t is
pointed out that in the course of the debate
on the Agricultural Produce bill an Eng
| lsh member asserted that those who ate
frozen meat were liable to cancer and other
terrible diseases. The statement was cir
culated over the world and naturally caused
indignation and alarm in colonial circles,
| which felt that great imperial industry
| had been seriously and wantonly dam
aged The Agent-General for New Zea-
land, resident in London, did what he
could to counteract the calumny by writing
a letter to the Times; but, obviously, it
would have been of advantage to all parties
had delegate from New Zealand been
present in the House, and thus able to reply
to the asperson on the spot.
Another of Mr.. SEDDoN's arguments for
giving the colonies representation at West
minister was that it would put a stop to the
movement which breaks out periodically
for the election by the colonies themselves
of the colonial Governors, who are now ap-
pointed by the Crown. The fact was re-
called that after the white settlers in New
Zealand conceded to the Maoris the right
to send delegates to the colonial Legis-
lature, their discomfort came to an end. He
submitted that 10000, 900 of British sub
jects in the colonies ought not to be de-
prived Of rights which are enjoyed by the
Maors in New Zealand.
On the other hand, Mr.. G. H. REID, the
Premier of the Oldest Australian colony,
New South Wales, spoke in the most un-
compromising way against any form of
imperial federation or any tightening of the
existing ties between the mother country
and her trans-marine dependencies. The
colonies, he said, desire to remain as they
are; and any attempts to alter their rela.
tions with England might lead to disaster.
He pointed out that In former times, when
the colonies were ruled from Downing
street, there were endless troubles and dis.
agreements between Australia and the
home authorities. Now there is practically
none, for the colonies are allowed to rule
themselves in their own way.
AS for heproposal to have a certain mum.
ber of colonial representatives in the House
of Commons, Mr.. REID was convinced, he
said, that neither the colonies nor England
would have it. The notion of giving a
considered too absurd for discussion. TAX
ing for granted that they would possess the
, power Of backing their opinions with theiI
votes, he drew attention to the fact that
the colonial representatives would consti
tute, at best, only small minority In the
| House, who could be outvoted at any time
) or who, by joining a minority of English
, members could override the decision of g
, majority of the English members on Eng
{ lish questions. England could not be ex
pected to stand that. So long, however, a,
, the experiment was tried, the colonial mem
! bers would be the objects OF incessant In
trigues, intended to attach them permanent
ly to one political party or the other. Then
again, the representation of the colonies al
Westminster would of necessity mean thai
the imperial Parliament had rights o.
taxation over them for imperial purposes
| The pnlnn Unnld