Bisbee daily review., 1909-03-31
ID ESTABLISH SOUTH AFRICAN
 FREE STATES
States in Dark Continent Have Formulated Constitution To Be Submitted For Kings Signature

LONDON, March 30.-The new South African commonwealth is soon to become an accomplished fact. To day, according to cable dispatches from Cape Town, the parliaments of Cape Colony. the Transvaal, Natal and the Orange River Colony will take action on the constitution re- gently formulated by a special body of representatives. Next June the un on convention again win meet to put the finishing touches to the plan of government, which will then be brought to London for imperial ap- proyal and for the kings signature.
 Indications are that the new gov ernment will be strongly centralized. It will follow the Canadian rather than the American or Australian plan in reserving all powers not spe- cially delegated to the provinces. Practically all the interests and af- fairs of the provinces are placed in the hands of a central parliament, the purely local and administrative business of each province only being in the hands of a provinc al council, which also is subject finally to the authority of the central parliament
 
 the methods of the home country and of the other colonial federations and was decided upon evidently with view 10 avoid'n the confusions, the contradictions and the frequent arbi trary effects of party government
 The suffrage in the new common. wealth Is to be exercised throughout, in all elections, local and general, fws ha 7ar ola members of the upper house of par- liament, in accordance with the prin- epic of proportional representation with the single transferable vote" By this principle a voter. for in stance in the Transyaa1. with thirty six representa- yes. could vote eith- CT once for each candidate Or give two votes for the eighteen he should select. The result would be that no considerable minority would he with out representation fairly proportioned to it's strength.
 The principles of equality in the upper house, as in the United States senate. Is applied in the South Afri- can constitution, but not completely. Each of the four provinces chooses eight senators through the vote of it's provincial council and it's mem. bers Of the assembly. or lower house, and to these are added eight senators nominated by the governor general in council. The members of the house of the assembly are chosen by the provinces substantially ae cording to the adult male European population. The natives who now have the vote are not to be deprived Of it. but none can attain it in the future, and they are not elig ble toI the parliament.
 The constitution Is necessarily in| the form of an act of the British parliament. but amendments to some of it's provisions may at any time be made by the parl ament of South Africa. and any of them may be changed at any time by a two thirds vote of the assembly and sen ate in joint session. Both English and Dutch are made official languages All laws and documents are to be published in each alike. and either may be used in debates or court 
 The parliament win meet h the assembly building at Cape Town. The l government offices are to be at Pre- ! toria, the capital Of the Transvaal ! while the supreme court and other l high courts will be established in the | chief city Of the Orange River colo | ny, BloemfonteiD. The railroads, sea | ports, etc, are to be managed by a i comm ssiOn at cost, and foreign com | merce is to be apportioned; the through Delagoa Bay, get ting 50 per cent, Natal % and Cape Colony 20.