New-York tribune., 1905-08-27

AI-1-Ls n CENTURY By Herbert l. OSgOOO
n II d Syo. Vols. and II, PIP. xxxii. 57S
so The Macmillan Company.
Professor Osgood's purpose in the work which
he has undertaken. two volumes of which are
now published. is Ito exhibit in outline early
Development Of English colonization on its po-
htica1 and administrative SIDE" and at the same
time 10 make study Of "the origin of English
American political institutions" He has di-
Nided this inquiry into two parts: A consdera-
ton OF the question from the American side
with which the present volumes are strictly con-
eerneo' and a discussion OF the British side OF
he problem, which viii be taken up in a vol
uIne 10 be issued later, the subtitle of which
VIII be ''The Beginning OF Imperial Admins
Cauon and Control" Since his aim is to show
what the governmental system was In the fif-
teen colonies before their transition from char
tered colonies 10 system OF royal provinces
he practically confines himself TO the period of
The seventeenth century, during which the col
ONES were founded, and when they were sever
ally adjusting themselves TO the conditions
which rendered their later closer relations to
the crown intolerable, and finally united thir-
teen OF them IN effective combination against
imperial control.
Such a study Of the beginnings OF American
institutional history has not before been at
tempted on anything like the same plan. The
author directs MS attention primarily to tho
lorIns o. government originally established and
subsequently developed in the colonies through
Ihe operation Of social and economical forces
IN ms own words. 'an attempt will be made
10 interpret early American history in terms O,
pubHc law" This attempt, SO far as the work
H now advanced, has been carried out with con-
spicuous success. Professor Osgood has dug
oeep INTO the archives Of the colonies and has
presented in clearly understandable and schol-
arly fashion the forms under which English in
fututcns were reproduced in America showing
no" 1&r The notifications that occurred were
cue 10 internal causes and to what extent they
were the product OF pressure from the homo
government Especially does he succeed in
bringing out that the origin of American in
sututons as they exist to-day lis not TO he
found wholly in those documents and n-inctnIas
which originated il the second half ne .ba
eighteenth century. but as well in certat,
Garner forms which had undergone steady de-
feopnlent for a century and q half before the
Gate OF independence"
Although al the American colonies derived
their powers from grants from the British crown
and were all accordingly. originally chartered"
colohles' theTe was diversity in the details OF
Their internal organization much greater than ia
indicated by the two principal forms OF charters
uhoer which all may be classified either as
corporate colonies. in the case of the Nev
England settlements, proprietary provinces
as In the case Of the others. The corpora tons
TO which charters were granted were composed
OF eiIlsTaflElg subjects. who given the right
10 manage their own affairs with a wide limit
OF discretion, Of which they freely avaiIed them
selves Tney were practically commonwealths.
and developed with scarcely any recognition of
the sovereignty Of England Their ecclesiastical
pohty differed from that of England Their land
Eystem and the relations between the executives
were peculiar 10 themselves They founded a
confederation without the consent of the home
government, taking advantage OF the civil
troubles in England for the purpose"
The government Of the proprietary provinces,
OF the other hand, was administered by the
grantees, the settlers participating only far
they received OF forced the delegated author
fly from those who had originally received It
from the crown THE province not self
centred as was the New-England colony" Yet