Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1895.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 94, 23 April 1895, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1895.

Of tho literature inspecting l'edorntioii, Australasian aud Imperial, there, is no end. We have received a copy oil iv pamphlet, by a Mr Charles Waddic of Edinburgh entitled " The Federation of Greater Uritaiu,' 1 in wliiuli in sixteen pnges lie disposes of the qucstiuu ti> his ONvn satisfaction. Mr- Waddie clous not believe thai a Homo Hole BUI for Ireland is possible, and is (surprised that any body of experieneod poKUwtuiK should l'.uve thought tlwt it was. lie says that hardly n single Liberal memher of Parliament win now be found who does not admit the neeo.s'sity of Home Ivulo all round. The time, he says, is not far distant when England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales will each manage its Own nnUonnl and local affairs in the same way as the colonies do at present. " Then a true British Parliament will bo open to receive the concentrated wisdom of tho whole British world," 'I he Parliament would have control of the army and navy, diplomatic relations with foreign powers, and would gonorally rotuin the supremacy of tho Empire, with the power to call to order any member which should overstep its proper authority, Mr Waddie is in one respect inconsistent, but he admits liis incousist-

eiicy.' Ho says that if suoli ft system us that sketched out by him is to work harmoniously the perfect, equality of all the states repr 'scnted in tho British Parliament must be recognised. The principle of population must be at once discarded, ns in this case it does not apply. But ho admits that tho population sm ! wealth of England are so much greater than those of any other uni 1 of tho federation that it would bo hard to induce Englishmen to lake up a position of equality with theii neighbours, Mr YVaddie proposes lov the federal legislature a lower House of 200 membcis, 50 to be elected by England, 20 each b.\ Scotland and Lrcland, ami 10 b 4 ,' Wales. He would give the i-dsl ol the Empiro 100 mciubei'S, blinking the whole up to 200. Ho would have an upper House o' 100 mem bers, also elected, llie nie'iibors to be chosen by the dill'trout stati-s in proportion to those of the lower House. Mr Waddie tiu'nks that in justice the Confederation emglit to assume part of iho responsibility for the national debt, mneh of which was incurred in conquering the lauds now occupied by English colonies. About this, however, he need not trouble himself. Most of the colonies hsvo sulliciently lar^'f debts of their own, and would strenuously object to assume ao.\ of the proposed liabililv. Oar important part of the scheme is absolute frcetialo within the Federation, anl suna of (he j familiar arjuinents against r.-atric j tions of coinnisree aiul attempts tn | foatei- induatrics wh'c'a are nol natural to a country are usad. For defence of tho Empire by laud H is proposed that I hero should bo a small regular army, and that t!n j volunteer system, should be greatly extended. In order to foster the latter the writer suggests that it should be compulsory in all schools that the boys should be perfectly drilled, and that as they grew up they should be required to enter cadet corps, but thai the military exercises should bo so arranged to interfere as little as possiblo with civil employment. All this is very fine, but it is a good deal too sketchy to go far in the way of a practical solution of the difficulty. For a number of years politicians in Australia have been trying to devise a schema of federation which should bo acceptable to the colonies there, but so far they havo failed, auj they seem to bo nearly as distant from success as ever. A general federation of all the members of the Empire, including England, Scotlam!, Ireland, and Wales, tho selfgoverning colonies, the Crown colonies, and tbe possessions ol the Crown, such as India, with vas: subject population?, would be a" matter of the utmost complication. Mr Waddie believes that failing such a schemo each of the colonies will bocomo an independent republic, with no more connection with Great Britain than the United States. Lot that be a.s it may, the fact remains that hardly a step has been taken in the direction to which ilr Waddi') poin's.