New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-28

tiatlons, the play OF lndlVlouaI Opinions anu TIC
development OF official policy concerning the
islands.
Under the title 1.-The Heart Of the Empire"
are published essays on problems Of modern city
life in England and an essay on imperialism
These are the work of ten writers. most Of whom
have had experience in London Settlement work
They believe that absorption of the nation in the
Boer war and the popular spirit engendered by
external adventure have diverted attention from
more serious home problems. Hence, the ap-
positeness OF the essay Imperialism. The
kernel Of their doctrine Of city life is that in
the past life naturally-that is, by the proc
ess of existing social and economic conditions
beautiful and instructive; while to-day life
wanes In conditions which tend to make 1t ugly
and trivial. It can still be made more beautiful
and Instructive than ever, but II so II Will be by
artificial means and by conscious effort Of
own The world the banks, having become
naturally ugly, must be made artiicially beauti-
full" The naturally ugly city. where children
grow up without a sight OF nature and workers
can get no refreshment from woods and fields,
should be decentralized far possible. and
from this point Of view the practical problems Of
housing, education and the distribution of in
dustries are considered. Temperance reform
and the relations of the church to the people OF
the cities are also discussed. The book is highly
suggestive in its proposals.
Mr.. Zueblns American Municipal Progress
is a record and criticism Of what has been done
here in recent years in the development Of
transportation. public works. such pave
ments, sewers, gas and water supply and fire
protection sanitation, schools, libraries, parks,
public recreation, and municipal control, owner
ship and operation OF public utilities. large
number Of facts concerning the administration
Of various cities have been gathered and d.
gested bur the SOL Of many modern in
stances sometimes seems TO be the clipping bu-
reau. rather than deep personal knowledge of
the matters discussed. There IS a cocksureness
in criticising acts not in accord with the
authors formula for good administration, when
evidently he has a mere bare outline CT facts
and no knowledge Of the particular conditions
which made departure from his theory wise
His comments on the New-York subway are
particularly wide Of the mark. Altogether the
book conveys the impression Of having been
produced under the stimulus of that policy pre-
vailing in some universities which calls on pro-
fessors to publish books as matter of scholastic
advertising
THE Administration of Dependencies' is an
elaborate and learned study OF the evolution OF
the modern federal empire. which is held 10 con-
sist OF union OF distinct States with their own
laws, under the leadership of another State
which, within certain limits and for certain pur-
poses, is the common sovereign. Under the old
French colonial system the dependencies were
distinct corporations. subject to French law Of
empire. but not subject to the domestic statutes
OF France. The true relation OF the American
Colonies TO Great Britain was that Of imperial
dependency. The Colonists did not dispute Eng
lands authority their States, but held that
it must be exercised according to the unwTitten
imperial constitution. which was superior to the
unwritten domestic constitution Of England and
gave no authority to Parliament to legslate on
domestic Colonial affairs. but only in its capac-
fly as the imperial legislature on the general
affairs Of the whole nation. English statesmen
had not then fully comprehended the true basis
Of their empire. and precipitated the American
Revolution, but that theory has since been &C
cepted in the organization OF Canada and
Australia. Mr.. Shows argument centres on an
attempt to show that from the very beginning
the United States has been tending to develop
similar federal empire with the United States Of
the written constitution as the paramount
authority governing dependencies under an IN
written constitution. The grant Of power TO the
federal government ITO dispose Of and make all
needful rules and regulations respecting the
territory or other property belonging to the
United States is examined with great care. and
contemporary law traced. 1t is concluded that
the phrase ito dispose Of was a generic express
sion describing imperial power and trust and
that belonging to" uniformly meant dependent
on. The Revolutionary statesmen In their de-
bates and writings. which explain the constitu-
ton and the articles of confederation, consid-
cred the Territories as national domain, over
which Congress possessed all the sovereign i'm
perial authority which the Colonies had ac-
knowledged belonged TO the English King
Therefore, our present colonial policy is 10 be
considered a legitimate development Of our svs-
tenn This thesis the author maintains with
great ingenuity, and. IL he is not ALWAYS con-
vincing, he is certainly highly interesting. His
historical citations are WORTHY of studv NV those
VINO can read the constitution only by the light
Of Rousseau's philosophy embodied in LETTER.
sonian phrases
Mr.. Reinsch, in his Colonial Government "
gives an excellent outline OF the various
Hethods or colonization and the forms and in
sututions Of colonial government adopted nv
Inc hatohs 70 whom we may wisely look for
suggestions in the development Of our own uoItcv
toward dependencies. Especially valuable is his
dlcusslon Of representative institutions and the
policy Of assimilation which Is so often urged
as essential to the exercise of sovereignty which
Is not IN principle a tyranny. The French have
tried the system Of assimilation giving the
Antilles and other colonies representation in the
hauonal Parliament The result is that these
colonial representatives have great personal In
huehce- Since the ministries are usually in
need OF every vote that be obtained. and
since the colonial Deputies are more independ-
ent In national affairs than are those who have
French constituencies. this support is always
courted." The maintenance of the republican
Nh Uag due