Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-15
AUSTRALIA IS IGNORED
Commonwealth Bill Presented in
Parliament by Secretary Of the
~ Colonies Chamberlain.
Position Of the Government De.
Tended The Mother Country
Must Control.
sway Of the Empire Must be Com;
plete in the Colonies For
eign News.

London, May 15.-The secretary of
state for the colonies, Mr.. Joseph cham-
beriain, rose iii well-filled house yes
terday to introduce the Australian COM.
monwealtll bill, which he described as a
great and important step toward the or
said it would make Australia an indis-
soluble federal commonwealth. united
for the most important Functions Of
government. With intercolonial free
trade, a common tariff for all the colony
and common control of the national de-
Tense. Such a contamination, the Sec
rotary declared, was as much 10 Great
Britain's interests as to Australia.
What was good for Australia was clear
~ good for the whole empire. The ems
ptre rejoiced at this great, free, progress
siye movement, which was monument
to legislative competency and worthy of
all the great labor that had been eN-
pended upon IL.
After explaining the difference be-
tween the Australian proposals and the
Canadian constitutions. My. Chamber
lain pointed out that as foreign coun-
tries We're concerned in The new consti-
tuition it WAS important thar measures
that might involve the imperial govern
ment III the most serious rssponslbili-
ties should be Interpreted by tribunal
In which all the parties had fun conf
derce, and thu government could not
consent to clause II, relating 70 the ap-
peal court, because ii meant The aboli-
ton Of the imperial veto. would be pre-
judicial to the unity of the empire and
might lead to a conflict of authority
between tine proposed high court and
the priNy council. There was by no
means, he pointed out, una nimity onthe
subject in Australia, and the govern
ment would ask II he house 50 to amend
the bill as TO retain the power of the
court of appeal.
The government, he added. proposed
to Introduce in the house of lords forth
with scheme to appoint for seven
Years a representative each Of Canada,
South Africa, Australia and India to be
members of the p,iNy council, who
would act as lords of appeal. Life peer
ages would be conferred onsthem 50 that
they would continue to sit in the house
VI ,'A'yis
judges after their term of service had
expired They would be paid the same
as lords of appeal and at the cost of the
imperial government.
During the course of his speech Mr.
Chamberlain said the new constitution
altho in important respects unlike an.
(. now existing, more closely rese1nblet
the constitution of the United State
than any other. State rights thruou
Were jealousy preserved. In Australia
the senate would be elected by the sam,
electorate as the legislature, and til,
members of both sides would receive til.
sans salary.
The liberal leader in the house, Sil
Henry Campbell Bannerman, said hs
thought it unfortunate that the govern
ment had not aceeGed to proposal:
which had received the unanimous ap-
prevail of Australia. and, he added, tn,
opposition would refuse TO support ths
government proposals in reference Il
3 the court Of APPEAL.
All the Australian delegates and nu.
meroua colonial! agents and peers who
had formerly been governors of variou
colonies We're present in the house o
commons DUNG the debate.
After Sir Charles Dixie and other
had spoken the bill passed its first read
ing. The second reading was fixed 70
May 81.