El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-18

tn Dominion Of Canada is a col
ony of the United Kingdom OF
Great Britain and Ireland and.
therefore. is an integral part of the
British empire That is to say, Canada
is a British dependency without any
sovereign rights or powers, but hold
ing every governmental function it
possesses as a privilege granted By
grace of the British crown. IN prac-
tice the British government is so scru-
pulous in respecting the strict inviola-
bility of these privileges once they
have been granted, that they seem to
become rights and are so regarded by
the colonials. The himsy fiction Of
the overlordship Of Britain rarely is
taken into account in workaday affairs
in Canada. Much more binding and in
1nitely stronger than this political re-
lation are the ties of kinship, acquaint7,
ance and commerce uniting the people
of the mother country with the people
of Canada
The British empire is composed of
the United Kingdom, India, and the
dominions beyond the seas. These do
mfnions are, in technical sense. all
colonies and their affairs are admins
tered from the colonial office in Lon
don. But the colonies are of three
grades: ID The crown colonies where
all functions of government are exer--
cised by the colonial office in London;
CD Those colonies having representa-
tive institutions in which the people
have voice in affairs, although the
crown still retains the power to ap-
point all administrative officers; CD
And those colonies having responsible
government in which the people have
all legislative and administrative pow
ar ~ at
fairs. the crown retaining only the sell
dom exercised right Of veto. In this
latter class belong the self-governing
nations of Canada. Australia, New
Zealand and South Africa
Is self-GOvern1ng Nation
The Dominion Of Canada is a self
governing nation. And how the Cana
dams do roll that word nation as a
delicious morsel under the tongue. Only
the parliaments Of Canada, federal
and provincial, may levy taxes upon
Canadians. Only these parliaments
may expend money raised by Canadian
taxation. The power of the purse
strings is absolutely in the hands of
the people of the dominion. They con-
tribute not one penny of taxes to the
imperial state. England cannot levy
upon Canada for one cent. Nothing is
more surprising to Canadians than the
/
well-informed Americans that Canada
pays money tribute to the mother
country.
Since it embarked upon that i'm
perial career that has proved to be the
most successful in history England has
made but one great blunder in the
matter of "coIonia1' government. That
was the assertion of the right to tax
It's colonies without their consent.
That error cost England It's fairest
colonies and resulted in the founda-
ton Of the United States Of America.
The lesson was well learned. the mis-
take never will be repeated. That Is
why Canada is so absolutely free, al
though still under the British flag
Is Becoming IrksOme.
Even with respect to foreign affairs
the fiction of British supremacy is be-
coming more and more irksome to
Canada. If Great Britain goes to war
there is no power in London that
would dare command Canada to come
to the aid Of the home country, but It
Is absolutely certain that the Ottawa
goveEHment and the people of the do
minion would be quick to volunteer
the services Of men and money. Yet
Canada, protesting its imperial 10y
atty, grows weary Of treating with for
eign nations through the circumlocu-
ton ofIlceS or the secretary OF state
for the colonies and the secretary of
state for foreign affairs and the chan
celleries of the embassies and lega-
tions Of the world Canada wants its
own consular corps, and it wants to
treat directly with foreign countries
Several years ago its parliament pro-
vided for department of foreign at
fairs, but the British parliament was
not quite ready to abandon the exer-
else Of its last power over the domin-
| ion.
The fact that the Canadian govern
ment conducted direct negotiations
with Washington in respect to the
pending tariff agreement shows the
trend of affairs. Canada has grown
so great that its people feel that they
ought to be represented in commercial
| dealings with foreign countries by
one OF their own men, and not by an
Englishman. however true and loyal
that Englishman may be to the do
minion and it's people.
Its Power Absolute.
When the British Tories at West
minister were disposed to criticise the
pending reciprocity agreement as too
| friendly TO the United States and as
inimical to Great Britain, they were
reminded by the secretary of state for
the colonies that Canada had evidenced
no disposition to submit its opinions
concerning the control of its internal