New-York tribune., 1906-12-16
qb THISTLE And ROSE UNITED FOR TWO CENTURIES. -
Plnns Beins Made for q
Fitting Celebration
Next March.

her to Great Britain in lSvp ana iee"-
future welfare as dependent upon her sep"t0-
ton from the larger island. prepafd'ioi-s a. :
h.,nr made both north and south OF the Tweed
- .,..,-o,a on March 4 next the 2ooth ami
versary OF the union between England anu
Scotland Both Kingdoms regard the event as
a cause for national rejoicing. and are emphaIo
I'm their belief that the union contracted just
two centuries ago has contributed not oNlS W
the grandeur OF the British Empire as whole'
but also 20 the prosperity OF the TWO PaiueS ~
the agreement. For, II Glasgow is To-Day sec
on6 only In Great Britain To London In point
Of population wealth and commercial llilpoF-
tance superior IN those respects even ~ lave
,.oo, and 70 Manchester 1t is owing TO the re-
,,over Of those restrictions OF trade which ex-
s.sea urtor TO the union. and which would be
en-. ,n.v5table consequence Of any repeal of the
,,n,on NOW existing between Great Britain and
Ireland Indeed. at the present moment, when
Hungary following the example OF Ireland. is
ciarnoring for Independence and for separation
from Austria indispensable 10 her economic
and political development, and when Norway
has tust succeeded Ia cutting herself adrfft
srom Sweden. when secession, in fact, is In the
s,r A. "a well worth while briefly to review the
,ss,ons taught by the two hundred years OF
union between England and Scotland.
c,s course the first step toward the alliance
he1Ween the Ih1sIIe anu le Isoeo HNS "NA~~N
J.snee VI of Scotland succeeded TO the crown of
England as James I. a succession brought about
by the ssgacity ana prescience OF Henry VII,
VIM. when nearly one hundred years previously
he saye his daughter Margaret 20 James Nv In
marriage foresaw the eventual union OF the
crowns and predicted that il would prove an
acquisition OF strength TO England. For the
next one hundred years after the accession OF
James i 10 the throne of England Scotland re-
tsaued her own Parliament, and. though own
tng allegiance to the same king, was deprived
of the privilege OF commercial equality being
tresaed by England In all matters relating TO
trade and industry foreign country, the al-
ser1apt OF the king to govern Scotland from Lon
don through a Scottish Parliament naturally
furnishing abundant opportunities OF unfair
snterference on the part of offcious English
ministers in Scottish affairs Finally the situa-
ton became so intolerable that the two king
6ons were rapidly drifting hack TO the bitter
enrity which had prevailed prior to the union
of the crowns, and at the beginning Of the
eighteenth century we find English merchant
ships tsing seized in the Forth by the Scottish
xovernnent IN retaliation for the seizure Of
Scottish shipping in the Thames.
shre<vd and patriotic statesmen on both sides
OF the Tweed became alive 10 the danger and
convinced of the necessity Of a closer union be-
tween the two kingdoms: and King William III
an narticular devoted all the closing years of his
life 10 accomplishing this end. opposed in the
matter at every step by France. which knew by
her experience of the past that with Scotland
as an enemy threatening the northern frontier
Of England much OF the latter's Importance as
g foe would vanish. Nor did France constitute
the only obstacle TO the union. English manu-
facturers and merchants were intensely jealous
OF their Scottish rivals and bitterly opposed TO
the removal OF the restrictions placed upon
them. The idea of granting their Scotch COM
petitors the same advantages which they them
selves enjoyed was abhorTent 10 them, and all
their influence employed 10 prevent any
thing OF the kind taking place. The Scotch, on
the other hand. did not relish the idea of the
loss OF their national individuality by merging
their history in that OF England. They felt that
81 would involve the increase Of taxation and a
share in the responsibility Of Engand's national
debt. Scotland feared for the existence of her
national church and Of her time honored irsti-
buttons; and then too there was TO the north of
the Tweed a widespread feeling of loyalty TO
the exiIed Stuart princes, Who aware that the
true source Of their strength lay in Scotland
quite naturally disapproved anything that could
tend TO aInalgamate the latter with England.
was good Queen Anne who finally brought
ebout the union OF Scotland and England which
was rendered possible only by sacrifices and for
pearance on both sides. the agreement while
accompanied by many regrets and reservations.
being nevertheless regarded both in Edinburgh
and I'm London as on the whole as fair 10 one
sice as to the other. The commissioners ap-
pointed TO elaborate the Act OF Union began by
eliminating two rocks upon which previous At
teunpts Of the same kind had been wrecked
namely. by agreeing 10 leave to each country its
own church and its own code Of laws. These two
sources OF difficulty being removed, the remain
der OF the agreement narrowed down to four
main points. namely, the succession 10 the crown
trade. taxation and the composition of the future
farliaxnent- The Scotch commissioners agreed
10 The demands Of the English that the latter's
Act OF Succession. settling the crown upon the
descendants OF Queen Anne. and, falling them
upon tbs Protestant house OF Hanover should
he extended 10 Scotland. The Scotch House OF
Fs<nszDent and the Scotch Pnvy Council were
abolished. and Scotland received forty-five seats
In the English House of Commons and sixteen
seats IN the House OF Lords to which her repre-
Gentatives were 10 be elected at the beginning
OS each Parliament by the Scotch peers assem-
hsd Tor the purpose at Hoyrood Palace, IN
ohedianoe TO a summons from the Crown
The national debt and taxation were adjusted
by she imposition in Scotland OF a noderai,
share OF the land tax. by the extension 10 Scot
A6Ao or pdft OF the responsibility for the ma
ronal debt of England. which in those day.
amounted TO SS0.OoO,Oo0 and by the adoption
oS q uniform rate OF customs and excise dutie
1or both kingdoms But the principal poin
the removal Of all trade restrictions be
tween the two Kingdoms, the establishment o
free commercial intercourse between Scotant
and q country such as England. IN which wealtl
was much more widely spread, and the admis
Gion OF Scotland 90 the same advantages an.
privileges those enjoyed by England in trad
With sorsis-n countries