The Dominion. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1909. THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 433, 16 February 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1909. THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

The form of tho proposed Federal Constitution for South Africa moans much to that country. An unsatisfactory draft, with its doterre'nt effect on the minds and purse-strings of the capitalists; spells a continuance of bnd times, whilst, on tho other hand, a really democratic Constitution would, mark tlio end of that long •period of dopression which, drovo many, from the country of their adoption, and

would herald their, quick return to it. Dealing seriatim.with.those heads of the proposed Constitution cabled io. us on Thursday last, we,note that the salary of. the Governor-General has been fixed on characteristically South African lines. Realising that for: years to 'come tho country will, need the services of a serics of'tho best men obtainable, arid that good men are worth' good pay, the salary has- been fixed at £10,000 per annum. The Conference is wise in its generation. The cable is'vague as to tho next item. There is; to be aii Executive Council empowered to-appoint eight Senators, probably'independent of party.. 'But what its other, functions are to be.is not disclosed.. A later paragraph suggests that this. Council may be intended to act , us a sort of. Upper House to the. new Proviricial Councils, or. as assessors or advisors,,: to the new administrators of tiie existing separate colonies. Until further information is received, it would be a.waste-of time to speculate on the subject. The lireimiining members .'of the Senate (40) are to bo 'elected, in the. first instance, ■ by; the existing colonial. Parliaments—in . other words;' nearly seventyfiye. per cent, of the original, members of the Upper House will bo' Dutchmen. Subsequent elections will be' made, not by .the people, as' in. Cape Colony,- •■ but by 1 the Provincial Councils, which, apparently, is to .bevthe new name for .the oxisting Stato ' Parliaments under the'■ hew ' dispensation.. The Lower House of 121 mem- , bers is to be drawn unequally from the four States as such,' as iollpw: the Capo 51;' the .Transvaal. 36; and Natal and th"B Orange Eiver Colony It each.- V . r . ■

It has .been announced for many weeks past-that the- general feeling: of the- delegates at;'. the' Conference 'was' strongly in favour, of Unification,< as opppaed to Fed--oration,::: Natal, in. fact,: being l the' only serious opponent,of: the ;former.- scheme.* We do' not yot know, .what label, has been put on the present l solution of the prob- 1 lom.:-It may.prove:to be called Unification. ,If so, it can only be compared to the.' translation : which overtook . Bottom,' . the - weaver..: 'It 'may 7 be ification -. in name, but it is Pederation..in practice. The objections .of Natal to ; . Unification 1 of this, brand become intelligible, \ for.; she. would becomo at once ..and" for {ever the, handmaid of her neighbours, who have riot forgotten .her staunch loyalty and the! cession of ; It is; unlikely, that .the;rank.arid file.of Natalianß;either''in Natol or outside..of. it. will accept: the 'proposed new ''position;' .Wo have before in' these -columns called, attention: to -.the importance in this : connection ]oi the prin'eiple' :of .. one.:-. vote ; ,one value, onthe basis of the .electorar.'roll. : The new Gohstitutioh reje'ets'this principle.;: Instead, it■, adopts' the old Hot; : Voile,'plank''. : of, 1904, and looks solely to , a population •basis. .In addition, it'.preserves in ,"ef-, ■ feet, if not in form, the old State, boundaries, and.'thus ; negatives, true ■ Unifica-: :tipn. The remaining heads cabled do not call for separate treatment hero at the. present ,time ! ,'.'.bnt.;it'.would have been.in-. .teresting.;to .'know something as to: tho coloured .franchise question,.as to '■ a National ; Eeforondurn, ; :that bugbear of '■ Me|BoTHA,Vand ;as,;to the,proposals in, rc--to Basutoland. The Conference was believed; to --.be.,, strongly./ in '.favour- : of. I merging Basutoland .in the;, Federation. I Theoretically,' tho; idea yas sound, ; and it •,was not : without other riibro coneretp al.lurements;:-: for-. tho>-land; is ;.of : first-class, ■/quality,,and'thei'country.'is'believcd to,be enormously.;riohvin .the/precious and the base;; metals, a BW the Basutos ,strongly object,, and' there.are. sound;reasons/for affirming their objectiohs.. V For many years.:now, Basutoland has; been, a '"re-' serve,' , :' governed by/a paramount'chief, ■ underi 'the' guidance : of an English Resident, .Commissioner,..Mr; fl./C. Sloley; It would be difficult to overpraise -the' ability' and : tact, with' .he ■ has /discharged; his; -duties." He . has gained : the' entire .confldpneo'/of .'evei'y v ßasuto,; and, as; "a' consequence, /'thp. territory has-: enjoyed a long and; unbroken/period of quiet and prosperity. . If the present, arrangement is; abolished, the country, it-is many, will , at, once, become the, prey; of 'the; concession-hunter, -the lahd-grabberi /and the / cattle ■■ thief! ' , The/ Basutos, , an offshoot,of, the. great -.Zulu nation, .are/a brave and high-spirited race, whose, proud and;true/boast: it is that ..neither the : English: nor the Dutch have' ever beaten,them.;. They have abundance of. arms, .and/they -.could probably put'75,00(3/mounted v m6n: into the field/■ ~War.within a' 'very' few/months of. ! :thc new. departure,- it:;is.Baidy'.would be almost a certainty,', a brave native race wo.uld-/bo/wiped: out./'and the/Empire would bestained with/thb.indelible.'staih of an. unjust'T.wa'.'; A more statesmanliko method of ; dealing with, the■ question would be to allow- matters tbremain 'iin..disturbed m every respeci-;-; Should the Basutos ever becomo : restive,• the new -.f ear of r ;:absorption-';in/tho,;Federation would give, Mr.;. SLOLEy or. his successors ,an extra hold over them. .To mako/this change merely for the sake of.uniformity/ is at I .present against the interests of the whole country. .;'.';- :////'■ ■.-,,'.;. ■. ■ ; A,later cablegram.from Cape, Town avers .that ;the' Constitution is being well .received,:: "subject to .cortain;/ amend-, ments, ■'. which are /not. specified; and therefore are ;not available for. considera:tipn now. ;,Theprohabilities : are that the more.this Constitution .is/considered, the less it will be- liked;/and it-is' easy- to point .out, its .faults. The questions .involved, are; not of meroly local 'importanco.- .They are of Imperial importance:; If, .as.'is probable, the local of the' various, colonies are to remain" unaltei'od, the Dutch, though/ in a' minority,' in' three but of, the' four 'colonies', will ■have a permanent majority/in the Upper. House. Even if the Executive/Council is to elect eight members to it, tho Dutch will still;rule.'iThe position in the Lower House .will be the same. The' allocation of seats, on.a population basis means,;as it is designed to mean; that the bulk'.of .the . scats, will be held, by'the rural •constituencies, which are Dutch to the; core,' save/ in : Natal. : The' urban .or ■English/, members, representing.>. in ihe main' the intelligence, - progressiveness, and wealth of the whole country;' -will bo doomod tp an ineffective opposition. For practical purposes, Mn. dream will: be. realised, for. this draft Oonstitu, tion creates a Federated Dutch .■Republic,' with the uitlandera finding the revenue, as/in his.day., Tho only difference will bo that of tho flag. If equality of -troat-" raont fb'r',all white races' under the'flag is/to'-bogh'en,: a.complete're-casting of the .-/franchise clauses will be required.' There is one thing which, will'ensure the rulo of the prpgrcssiyc ..majority, and-that is/equal electoral dietricte/biißod;. on .the oloctoriil ■ register,.,'.'and framod without

regard to existing State boundaries, with periodical readjustment. This will -give the true: democratic result of one vote one value, and, to give satisfaction/;to tho British people, the ; same method should be applied to the election of-. : the Senate, following in other, respects the plan on which the Capo Upper House is' now elected. . . .:. ;, ; .' : .'..' : ... . ■