AMONG THE MAGAZINES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5678, 28 August 1905, Page 2

AMONG THE MAGAZINES

IS PARLIAMENT A MERE CROWD. The question “Is Parliament a more crowd” is put in the “Nineteenth Century” by Sir Martin Conway, and is answered by him- substantially in the affirmative. The writer in his remarks is dealing mainly with the British House of Commons, of which it will bo seen he is a sere re critic, but his remarks have a wide and general application. Under its modern Standing Orders tile Parliament of Great Britain has parted with the right of initiating business, iso that it now is, according to, the writer, a crowd whose thinking is done for it by a few of its individuals called a Cabinet. The theoretic idea is that each representative is to place his mind at the service of the people who elect him, but as a matter of fact the individuality of each member suffers the same eclipse that individuality always must suffer iu the components of a crowd. All the Assemblies of the world are Crowds, subject to the vices of crowds, the pastimes of crowds, the inconsistencies of crowds, the stupidities of crowds,.'and the pride of crowds. A crowd does hot think or deliberate.It is an amorphous credtUro without a brain. All that ja. crowd possesses is passion. By passion, not by thought, it obtains the. possession of an idea, that idea originating with the individual. ThP Cabinet by originating the idea is becoming "the real governing body, and the Cabinet is fundamentally Hostile to thg House of Commons. We still talk of Parliament as possessing the supreme power, but while the phrase remains the facts are all changed. So far as debating is concerned, the old debating function of Parliament could nowadays bo equally well performed through the newspapers, and its governing functions have actually been transferred to the Cabinet. Sir Martin Conway’s contentions are assuredly ex* treme, tut his paper has some value in calling attention to changes, often unnoticed, but continually proceeding, by which the relative value of all'our institutions —the Crown, the Cabinet, the press, and the Parliament—are ever undergoing material change.

calling attention to changes, often un- | noticed) but continually proceeding, by which the relative value of all'our institutions—the Grown, the Cabinet, the press, and tile Parliament-—are ever undergoing material change. THE WHITE v. YELLOW PERIL. In the “Nineteenth Century” Mr George Lynch points out that while the . ; Western people talk glibly of a possible yellow perilj the Eastern nations nave j ! been exposed to a White Peril, which has-grown litbre alarming to them aw i the years have rolled; on. “There is nothing speculative or imaginary about the idea of White Peril to the Eastern • nations. It has been carved out of the [ continent of Asia, and the picture . painted in the yellow mans blood. [ Now that Japan has proved hersel) strong enough to call a halt, and utter ; the cry “Hands off,” the world may be said to have arrived at a turning- ’ point Lh history. Unquestionably, one I of the results of the present war will i be the drawing of the two great Asiatic . nations Of the East more closely together for their own protection. There r is litttle doubt that one of the oondii tions of peace will be the evacuation of ■ Manchuria by Russia, and the return I of the island of. Saghalien to Japan. Al- , j ready the effects of the war have be- , come apparent throughout China, and a . fresh impetus has boon given to the. i, movement which may he called the ; Japahisation of that country. During I the past twelve months an unpreceden- . ted. number of Chinese students have .j come to Japan ; there are now over 4000 ! |in'Tokio alone, while Great Britain with [ its enormous trade with China, can , | only number 80 ,‘student visitors, -j While considerable importance may .bo . attached to the influence these young i men will have when they return from , Japan to China, an equal influence is . being already exercised by the large . number of Japanese instructors who 1 have gone over to direct the re-organ J. i Ration of the’Chinese army and navy. I and act as superintendents in the Go- - vernment arsenals. As soon as the development of China will make her valuable as an ally we may expect to see an offensive and defensive alliance concluded with Japan. It is obvious that the tittle has coble when no further territory in Eastern Asia can be - annexed by European pofrors, and It is not by any means improbable that before long a. movement. in the opposite direction may begin. Now that the Russians have been driven out of Port Arthur,'we Will soon be under notice to quit Wei-Hai-Wei. If for aby reas Japan should pick a quarrel with Ger many, and insist on the evacuation of Kia-Chou, it is dificnlt to see effective opposition the Gormans conic! make. Thus the menree of the White Peril is passing away from As a. Tbe:e ; are nuny who will see, in .h.s position ■j the confirmation of their worst fears regarding the Yellow Peril, but the writer 1' dees not agree with them. To his mind, as tho white created the yellow peril, so Will the passing of the white lay tho

ghost of the ether. - He contends that to anyone really familiar with the peaceful character of the Chinese people, and. conversant with their history, the‘idea of their ever becoming aggressively warlike is thoroughly absurd."