New-York tribune., 1900-05-17
Il DVdNCE. AESTR1LI1 90

Seldom does it fall to the lot of statesman
TO perform more grateful act than that which
the British Colonial Secretary performed i'm Par
lament on Monday. We shall not describe it a
the crowning act of his career. or of the long
reign Of his illustri0uS sovereign. though indeed
it might well be deemed worthy to serve as
such. We are by no means sure that credit for
it, or for the conditions and train of circum-
stances that led to it, is largely due to Mr.
Chamberlain or, in major measure TO the EN-
press-Queen herself. No doubt Mr. Chamberlain
has during his secretaryship done all in his
pOwer-and no doubt that has been mucb-to
promote this happy eonsummation, and no
doubt Queen Victoria throughout all her reign
has done much TO the same end. and not only
in this specific case Nevertheless, we must
give to the British race itself, and especially to
that part of it which resides in the Australian
colonies, the chefest credit for the foundation
and development of the great States and their
final amalgamation into the Commonwealth of
Australia.
Alr. Chamberlain has introduced into Parlia-
ment the bill which is TO give Imperial sanction
to the formation of that Commonwealth by
enactnS its constitution as an Imperial law. 1t
has also been his lot for the last few weeks to
conduct spirited though amicable controversy
with the Australian representatives over the
one solitary feature of the constitution concern
Ing which there Is any appreciable difference of
opinion. We have hitherto stated in detail the
point at Issue 1t is whether the Supreme Court
OF Australia shall be supreme indeed in all con-
stitutiOnal questions there shall be- as now
! and as in the case of Canada, a final appeal to
an Imperial tribunal. Mr. Chamberlain has con
tended for the latter principle. and has ap-
parenty won. At any rate, the bill which he
has introduced provides for such amendment of
the constitution will establish such appeal
and II Is scarcely supposabe that he would
have introduced such an amendment had not
Australian acQuiescence therein been substan-
TALLY assured This WILL of course limit the in
dependence OF the new Commonwealth but II
will also bind il the more closely to the United
Kingdom and to the whole Empire More than
that 1t will actually add to its power and dig
nifty. For the Imperial Court of Appeals will no
longer be a purely British-that is United
Kingdom-body, to which the Commonwealth
will have to submit it's cause. II will be an I'M
perial body upon the bench of which Australia
and Canada and South Africa and India will
have judges the peers of their English. Scotch
and Irish brethren that while the rest of the.
Empire will get voice in Australian affairs
Australia will also get voice in the affairs of
the rest of the Empire.
A large degree of satisfaction NAV properly be
relf 10y Americans at this creation of the Com
monwealth of Australia if for no other rea son
thah that the example of the United States has
been so closely followed Mr.. Chamberlain in
his speech of Monday, introducing the BILL ex-
pialned that the Australian constitution had
largely been copied from that of the United