Manawatu Daily Times Democracy and the Crown

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7060, 7 November 1929, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times Democracy and the Crown

The interesting theory is advanced by W. G. Carlton Hall in the current issue of the English Review that the Parliament Act of 1911 and the change in the status of the Dominions since the Imperial Conference of 1926 will inevitably lead to a considerable increase of the power of the British Crown in Imperial affairs. This thesis is based principally on the fact that, since 1926, the Dominions and Great Britain have been “autonomous communities within the British Empire," “in no way subordinate to one another," and united by a common allegiance to the Crown. The Imperial sovereignty of Parliament is thus gone, and the only connecting link between the component parts of the Empire is the monarchy.

In the past, when certain bills passed by the legislatures of the Dominions have been “reserved" for the royal it has been the custom of the British Government to advise the King; but now that the British and the Dominion Governments are on an equality, this seems to be no longer a practical procedure. The argument runs that the King‘will have no alternative but to take the necessary decisions on his own responsibility. The suggestion that, the difficulty might be surmounted by the setting up of a kind of cabinet of Imperial Governments, in which corporate decisions might be reached on disputable points, Mr. Hall dismisses on the ground that the Empire is too extensive for such meetings to be held with sufficient frequency.

' There is, however, a greater objection to an Imperial cabinet than the obstacle of distance, which, indeed, is becoming less and less every day, and that is the opposition of the Dominions themselves to too great centralisation. Instead of advising the King through a composite cabinet, or leaving him to make decisions for himself as Mr. Hall suggests, they would probably prefer to approach him directly through the High Commissioners who represent the Dominion Governments in London.

It is becoming apparent, however, that the position of the King in relation to the Imperial “constitution" needs to be cleared up. It is conceivable, as Dominion statesmen have pointed out, that a difference of opinion might arise between two Dominions, and how could the King, as head of the State in both, oppose.himself? Such a difficulty is, of course, highly hypothetical, and nobody expects it to arise. Nevertheless the problem is there, and to its solution statesmanship in Great Britain, as well as in the Dominions, is applying its best talents. >'

A labourer named Edward Stephen McAnulty, 58 years of age, pleaded guilty to a second offence of drunkenness within six months, at the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court yesterday and was fined 10s, in default 48 hours.

A meeting is being held next week at Hamilton to consider the formation of an aero club. The, town already has a private company, Hamilton Airways Ltd. The director of air services has approved of an area of 68 acres of domain land,- close to -the town, which is considered an excellent landing ground.

Tho successful relay o-f the Melbourne cup race by the Mana.watu Radio Club (2ZF) on Tuesday was appreciated by followers of the sport in •on,d around Palmerston North. The club also put on the air a description of yesterday's steer riding competition at the Spring Show, receiving congratulatory reports frogi a? far away as Picton.

When asked yesterday if they had received any advice regarding the contents of the bag of registered mail for Wellington which had disappeared at Perth, the Wellington Post Office authorities replied in the negative. The list of the contents of each registered mail bag arrived inside the bag itseli, no forward list or advice ever being sont. '

' A wealthy American’s aunt had died in. Australia, and wishing to have her buried in the family lot in her native town, ho cabled for the remains to be sent to America. When the coffin arrived. he was amazed to discover a soldier in the full military uniform of a General. He c-ableci his astonishment at the error and received this concise explanation: “Keep the General. Your aunt has been accidentally buried with full military honours.’’

From North Cape to Bluff Norton’s “Premier’’ Egg Preservatives are famous as the Dominion’s best and most reliable preservers. Start now preserving eggs with Norton’s for winter.