Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-12
Oppose AusTRAllAM PROPER
New colonial Question: vsxss GREAT
IS a. Hritain. II ss N 49,

|s 1On00ns April s1O.-lmpefta1rS federation
and the fate of the political parties Of
England for some time to- come may
prove to be bound UP In the Australian
commonwealth bill. Certain clauses Of
this bill establish q supreme federal
court for Australia and provide that
there shall be no appeal from the decis-
ions OF that court in ma tiers Affecting
the Interpretation OF the federal consti-
tuition or the constitutions OF the states.
sEnglishmen look with deep disfavor up
on the proposition. which they hold de-
sstroys the connecting link between the
federation and the mother country and
initiates dangerously against the idea
of imperial unity.
Strenuous arguments ore In course Of
preparation In England, with a view to
convincing the Australian delegates and
the Australian people that the judicial
of the privy council. eitherYas
~ stands or In modified form, should
be maintained as the court of last resort
for the whole or the federated empire.
IT Is urged that this body would typifys
the unity of Great Britain and would
tend constantly to strengthen the ties
binding the scattered parts OF the en-
ipirc together and back to the mother
land.
Australia, so far as can be learned, re-
CARDS with marked displeaEure on its
part. the disposition of English politi-:
clans to tamper with the commonwealth
bill. Antipodean opinion seems to be
sharply opposed to having the supreme
court Of the new federation on the other
side OF the globe from the point where
arises the litigation on which 1t must
pass. The expense of reaching such a.
court and the great delays incident to
causes therein are represent.
ed as uncomfortable. Furthermore, Aus
tralians say they want the constitutions,
statesand federal, to develop along Aus.
ltralian lines.
The question all this presents to the
imperial parliament is most awkward
one. All Eng tshmen wish to do every
thing in their power to conciliate tho
colonlals. and yet in the proposed linz
itation upon the supremacy OF the
privy council in matters judicial they
see what they conceive to be the great.
est possible peril to that hazy project
an organized British world power. ~,
on the other hand, they reject the COM
monwealth bill as framed II Is to be
feared that Australia will be hopeless
ly estranged from the mother country
while the cause of imperial federation
will be dealt a blow from which 1t Will
take a long time to recover.
These difficulties are a source OF pro-
found perplexity to Mr.. Chamberlain
and his allies. both as statesmen and a s.
politicians. They feel that II they mi IKE.
a mistake from which the political Ideal
now appealing so powerfully to the
British heart shall suffer. the country,
will record its displeasure and disap-
pointment at the polls.
Z On the liberal side OF the house Lore
Rosebery and lesser would be empire
builders are seeking to solidify the neb-
ulous political conditions OF the hour
into the elements of a definite, cogent
faith which at one and the same time
solve the problem Of imperial fedora
tion-so far as II solvable at this time
and reconstructs the liberal party on a
solid basis.