Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-18

The Dominion CT Canada iS colony OF
the United Kingdom of Great Britain ana
Ireland and therefore is an intesral part
CT the British expire-that is OF say
Canada is a British dependency without
any sovereign rights or powers, but hold
ing every governmental function 1t pcs
sesses as a privilege granted by grace of
the British crown. In practice the Brit
ish government is 50 scTupulous in re
speeding the strict inviolability of these
privileges, once they have been granted
that they seem to become rights and are
so regarded by the colonials The f1tmsS
fiction of the overlordship of Britain
rarely is taken into account in workaday
affairs in Canada. Much more binding
and infinitely stronger than this politicai
relation are the ties of knship, acquaint-
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 dOminionS are,
in a technical sense, all colonies, and their
affairs are administered from TIE colonial
office in London. But the colonies are oil
three grades: % The crown colonies,
where all functions of government are ex-
t2) those colonies having representative
institutions. in which the peop.e have a
voice in affairs although the crown stun
retains the power to appoint all admins
trative officers; CD and those colonies
having responsible government, in which
the people have all legislative and adj
ministrative power except with respect
to foreign affairs. the crown retaining
only the seldom exercised right OF veto
In this, latter class belong the self-gov-
of
Zealand and South Africa.
The Dominion of Canada is a self-gov-
erning nation And how the Canadians
do roll that word nation" as delicious
liaments of Canada, federal and provin-
cial. 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 contribute 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
belief entertained by many apparently
pays money tribute to the mother coun-
try.
Since it embarked upon that imperial
career that has proved to be the most
successful
England's One Blunder in history.
in Colonial Government. has made e
but one great blunder in the matter of
colonial" government. That was the as
sertion of the right to tax it's colonies
without their consent. That error cost
England its fairest colonies and resulted
I,, %l,n =, ~nik Of
America. The lesson was well learned,
the mistake never will be repeated. That
is why Canada is so absolutely free, al
though still under the British flag.
Even with respect to foreign affairs
the fiction of British supremacy is be-
coming more and more irksome to
Canada. II 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 1T is absolutely
certain that the Ottawa government and
the people OK the Dominion would be
quick to volunteer the services of men
and money. Yet Canada, protesting It's
imperial loyalty. grows weary of treat
ing with fcreign nations through the
circumlocution Offices of the secretary of
state for the colonies and the secretary
Of state for foreign affairs, and the chan
celleries Of the embassies and legations
Of the world Canada wants its own con-
sular corps. and 1t wants to treat direct
ly with foreign countries. Several years
ago its parliament provided for a depart
ment of foreign affairs, but the British
parliament was not quite ready to aban
don the exercise of its last power over
the Dominion.
The fact that the Canadian government
conducted direct negotiations with Wash
ington In respect to the pending tariff
agreement shows the trend of affairs.
Canada has grown SO great that It's people
fznl hat HhDN, rr11t h4 %<.d tn,
commercial dealings with foreign coun-
tries by one of their own men, and not
by an Englishman, however true and
loyal that Englishman may be to the
Dominion and its people.