SCOTLAND NEXT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 97, 30 May 1914, Page 8

SCOTLAND NEXT.

IiPEItIAL PAkLIAMENT OVERWORKED. Mr J. W. Greig, K.C., M.P., advocates a Parliament ;for Scotland in the '' Contemporary Review,'' and .points out the main issue which that great change involves. - «* He begins by pointing out how a fully Federated Empire would be governed. "" <' Assuming that Devolution has been fully and systematically effected," says Mr Greig, "the British Empire would then be composed'of the following communities governed by separate legislative bodies: —

."(a) A Federated British Islands comprising: An Imperial Parliament dealing with purely general and Imperial matters relating to the whole Empire; as, for example (a) the Crown, (b) defence, (c) foreign policy, (d) India, (e) matters relating to the British Islands as a whole, such as Customs, Excise, external trade, etc. "(b) Local legislatures for England, Scotland, Ireland, and, Wales, the.-'Me of Man and the Chjm„njel~-felands. (The Jast„.twix-have;and for a long time-past have had, local legislatures.) >""

- " (c) Four groups^f'autonomous Dominions, each,with'" a central legislative body for general purposes, and having in each 'group local legislative . bodies for "local purpose?. These; groups are •Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand '(which has one Parliament).' . ■• . i ■ ■

"(d) The Crown Colonies governed directly from the Colonial Office at home (through the Colonial Secretary responsible to the Imperial Parliament), and also through governors, and a council wholly appointed by the Crown, or partly appointed and partly elected. '"(e) The Empire of India governed by a Viceroy and Council, the former being responsible through the Secretary of State for India to the. Imperial Parliament at home., The Empire's Heavy Burden.

"How far are we from this ideal now 1 ? We have only one Parliament at Westminster, discharging three different sets of legislative, 'administrative and executive functions, namely: —

"(i.) Controlling all Imperial interests affecting the Empire all the world over, and invested with sovereignty in these matters. " (ii.) Controlling the common interests of the British Islands (the United Kingdom). . . " (iii.) Controlling the separate and distinct interests of England (32 millions of people), Scotland (four and ahalf to five millions of people), Ireland (four and a-half millions), and Wales (two and a-half millions). "The first of these (Imperial interests)"is,jn itself, a huge burden, and is one the extent of which is not ordinarily fully recognised; It includes such world-wide functions as the con-

duct of foreign policy; the enactment of legislation amending or altering the fundamental statutes of the great Fedeiations of Canada, South Africa, and Australia; the government of India and the Crown Colonies. "The burden is too great to be borne, and the consequence is that the work is: hurriedly done, or, as some allege, scamped; or, if done at all, only after great delay, friction, and unnecessary difficulty.

The Case for Scotland. "The Case of Scotland for a separate '(legislature-rests primarily on legislative ncglectT" delay .of much-needed legislation, and want o£. adequate control by Scottish opinion 6i Scottish administration, owing to the ri pressure of business in the Imperial Parliament, and also to the costly nature of the procedure necessary to obtain Parliamentary approval to local Bills for local projects. "During the eleven years, ~ 190019.10, the total number of Public Acts passed into law was 523, giving an average of 47.5 per annum. Of these fortyfour only related exclusively to Scotland, showing an annual average of four Acts. Most of; the forty-four, purely Scottish Acts were of small.- or., even trifling importance, and only ten of them can be regarded as even of mod-, erate importance. For all her national needs inH/hejg&eat "departments of pub : Scotland got only ten Acts of any importance in eleven years. "The demand for 'devolution' is one based fundamentally on the necessity of having in Scotland a legislative, administrative, and executive body for Scottish matters, responsive to Scottish wishes and sympathies.'' Professor Blackie's Claim.

■" The claims of Scotland cannot be put better than ;in the words of Professor Blackie:-

" 'As au independent kingdom, using its own laws, boasting its own Church, and marked by a distinctive type of character and culture, Scotland has a right to demand that her public business shall be conducted seriously on Scottish ground, in a Scottish atmosphere, and under Scottish influence; not hustled and slurred over hastily in an Imperial Parliament.' "' "The 'national basis' being accepted as the guiding principle, questions as to the method of giving effect to the principle arise, but all are relatively subordinate and matters of detail and practical expediency only. "A Bill which passed its first reading in 1913, drafted by a committee of Scottish Liberal members of Parliament, indicates the general lines which may be in such an enactment. Proposed Powers for Scotland.

"The Scottish Bill-proposes to enact that the Scottish Parliament shall have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of Scotland, with the following limitations, •namely, that it is not to have power to make laws in respect of: " 'The Crown, the making of peace or war, the Navy, Army, or Territorial Forces; Treaties, dignities or titles of honour, treason, treason felony, alienage, naturalisation or'domicile; trade with any place out of Scotland, postal servicesand Post Office Savings Bank; lighthouse, buoys, or beacons; coinage, legal tender, and any change in the standard of weights or"measures; trademarks, designs, merchandise marks") copyright.- or patent rights; collection of taxes imposed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.' ". ' . "It is proposed in the Scottish Bill that the Scots Parliament shall be' a single chamber, consisting of 140 mem-

bers returned by the existing constitu 1 encies, except the Universities. * Power; is eonfered on, this-jParliament to deal with the franchise and election. laws. This would enable it to enact that,wd : men should be admitted to. the franchise if thought fit. The Scottish Parliament is to be prohibited from imposing any religious disability. "Another very important provision is the final proposed enactment in.fthis section, that the Scottish Parliament shall riot make laws 'to impose duties of Customs or duties of Excise as defined by this Act, or either or such duties, or to affect any Act relating tc such --duties or either of them.

"Full power is conferred on the Parliament to alter the qualification and registration of electors, the law relating to elections, and the .constituencies and the distribution of members.

"By Clause 4 the Lord High Commission (whose office is to be held for six years, unless. revoked) is made a much more important official than at present. Under the Bill it is .proposed that he should be fully vested with the Sovereign's authority, if delegated to him. ...--•*£' " '■ ■ ; ■•■' Powers of Taxation. , '' The powers of taxation to be conferred'oh the Scottish Parliament are as follow: "'Power to tax heritable property; power to impose land tax, inhabitated house duty, death duties (leviable on heritable property), Schedule Aand B of thei Income-Tax,land values duties, stamp duties on conveyances and'bonds and dispositions in security. There is a limitation on the power of varying Income-tax and death duty in that not more than one-tenth of the increased return shall■•• accrue to the .Scottish Revenue. Judges will be appointed by the Lord High Commissioner on the advice of the Scottish Ministry.' ; "The finance of the Bill is,..shortly, as follows:

"1. All taxes collected in Scotland will be paid into the Imperial Exchequer; but Scotland will receive annually a sum equalling the cost of the exchequer of the United Kingdom, at the time of the passing of.the Act, of Scottish services, less a sum equal to the average annual proceeds from Scotland of the existing Imperial taxes on heritable property. "2. A sum of £500,000 per annum, diminishing after the third-year'by the sum' of • £50,000 until it is reduced to £200,000."