The San Francisco call., 1906-05-27
POLITICAL
CRISIS IN
MAN ISLE.
People Tire of Ancient
Form Of Government
Prevailing.
Small Piece Of Land an
Appanage Of the
Crown.
Power Of Initiative as to
Taxation Now De-
sired.
Special Dispatch to The Can.

CpeClal DlSpaLch 10 The Call.
LONDON, May 26-It seems difficult to
realize that in the Isle of Man at the
3D. present moment a political movement is on
foot Of so serious a character that it may
not improbably develop into a constftu-
tional crisis. Yet such is the case. Ii
Is notoriously the fact that the govern
snent Of the island is anomalous in the
highest degree The explanation is a
simple one. The existing system has been
evolved from a series of archaic survivals
and traditional customs. and has hitherto
been found 10 harmonic very well with
the simple nature Of the people and with
their old world outlook upon life
AS laid down by Lord Chancellor Hard
wick in 175l, the place is not possession
OF the British realm, but an appanage OF
the British crown, and its bishopric is the
only one TO which appointment is made
directly and without the legal fiction of
d congo d'elire. There ar two Houses OF
Legislature, but there is no Ministry, and
the members Of the Council, an exclu-
sively nominated body, are not. as in the
case OF. the crown colonies, bound to sup
port the measures put forward by the
Governor, in whom all authority is prac-
tically vested.
ADVENT OF NEW IDEAS.
The customs and post Office are
branches Of the English system and the
entire administration of the island is in
some underlined way under the control
Of the Home Office. But. Notwithstanding
all this, substantial autonomy is enjoyed
ana the power of veto upon insulsr legis-
.ation is seldom. if ever, exercised, while
the Governor. who is himself the Presi-
dent of the Tynwald Court, as the COM
5ined Chambers are called, is kept scru-
puloUsly informed as TO any measure be-
fore Parliament by which the interests
of the island are likely TO be affected.
Such a condition of affairs might well
@be found intolerable in the case of large.
progressive and ambitious community, but
such a description would hardly be ap-
rlicable to the Isle OF Man. In area and
population il stands about on the level
Of an average English county, and owing
10 the comparative absence of trade and
manufactures the best and most enter
prising of its manhood are attracted else
where. Nevertheless, modern ideas are
making themselves felt. and formal de-
mand is now being put forward for a
radical reform in the arrangements en-
tered into just forty years ago, when the
House OF KEYS or Lower Chamber was
made a representative body-having been
previously self-elected-and the financial
relations with England were placed upon
z business-like basis.
THE HOUSE OF KEYS.
The Keys" to give them their popu-
Tar title have by relatively substantial
nsjorities passed a series of resolutions
which in their entirety amount 10 con-
stitutional revolution on a small scale. 1t
is asked that the Governor shall be ap-
pointed for a term Of years, though it is
not. easy TO understand the point OF this,
seeing that Sir Henry Loeb, the most
popular Governor whom the island has
. ever known was in Office for nineteen
years. and was all the more successful
on that account
Some Of the suggested limitations of
the Governors prerogative appear more
reasonable. such as the proposal that the
police should be controlled by a board,
for il may be admitted that the Governor
has at present too many administrative
duties TO perform One of the resolutions
asks for the power Of initiative in mat
ters Of taxation and finance for the House
Of KEYS, and another that an elected ma
iority Of members should be added TO the
Council. and each Of these suggestions is,
to say the least of il, highly debatable-
The minority of the House pointed out
that the Home Once might meet the
agitation by a counter proposal to annex
the island. The warning sounds serious,
but il has precedent 10 warrant it. A
good many years ago. when reform of the
House of Keys was asked for the Gov
ernor Of the day in refusing his assent
said somewhat significantly: IF any re-
form in the House Of Keys is found 10 be
really wanted. representation in Parlia-
unent may be the measure adopted.