Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-04-01
England in Africa.

Inc new South African common
wealth is soon to become an accom-
plished fact. Today, according TO
cable dispatches from Cape Town, the
parliaments of Cape Colony, the Trans
lvaal, Natal and the Orange river col
ony will take action on the cCnstitu-
ton recently formulated by 4 special
body of representatives. Next lure
the union convention again will meet
to put the finishing touches to the
plan of government, when they will
be brought to London for imperia, ap
proval and for the kings signature.
Indications are that the new gov
eminent will be strongly centralized
| 1t will follow the Canadian rather
than the American or Australia plan
in reserving all powers not specially
delegated to the provinces. Pra :. 'cally
| all the interests and affairs Of tn:
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
provincial council, which also is sub
ject finally to the authority of the
central parliament This plan is a
radical departure from the methods of
the home country and of the other
colonial declarations and was decided
upon evidently with a view to avoid
ling the confusions the contributions,
and the frequent arbitrary effects of
lparty government.
The suffrage in the new common
wealth is to be exercised throughout.
in all elections, local and general, and
in the secondary elections for mem
bers of the upper house of parliament
in accordance with the principle OF
proportional representation with the
single transferable vote" By this
principle voter, for instance, in the
lTransvaal. with Sc representatives
could vote either one for each candi
date Or give two votes for the Is he
should select The result would DC
that no considerableminorit would d
without representation fairly proper
toned to its strength.
The principle of equality in the up
per house, as in the United State!
senate, is applied in the South African
constitution, but not completely. Eacl
of the four provinces chooses eigh
senators through the vote of its prov
incial council and it's members of thu
ASSEMBLY. or lower house, and to thes
are added eight senators nominated b.
governor general in council. TIL
members of the house or assembly ar
chosen by the provinces substantial
according to the adult male Europea,
population. The natives who now hav
the vote are not to be deprived Il
it, but none can attain it in the future
and they are not eligible to the pal
lament
i The constitution is necessarily j
the form of an act of the British PAL
: lament but amendments to some &
l it's provisions may at any time b
l. made by the parliament of Sout
e Africa, and any of them may be chans
I the assembly and senate in joint se'
d Ision. Both English and Dutch ar
u made official languages. All laws an
documents are to be published in eac
; alike, and either may be used in d.
II bates or court proceedings.
The parliament viii! meet in the Il
! sembly building at Cape Town. TIL
government offices are to be at Pr
9 toria, the capital of the Transvaa
while the supreme court and othe
II high courts will be established in tn
). chief city of the Orange river colon.
u tBloemfontein. The railroads, Sc:
u ports, ETC., are to be managed by
commission at cost and foreign con
merce is to be apportioned; the Tran
a vaal, through Delagoa bay. getting
} per cent, Natal 80 and Cape Colony 2