CURRENT TOPICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6065, 31 December 1897, Page 3

CURRENT TOPICS.

♦ . The petition that is reenglish f erred to in our cablegrams ok this morning, praying that bbitish ! the words England and English should be discarded in order to make room for the words Britain and British, is of considerable interest to the Colonies. Colonials are accustomed to regard themselves as members of the British, not the English, Empire, and no doubt would be at a loss to understand the reason of the Scottish complaint, for there does not appear to be any great difference in signification between the two words. But the adoption of " British " in place of "English" woxild mark the union of the two countries in a noticeable manner, and would at the same time include in its scope, Ireland, Canada, Africa, India and Australasia, while it allowed each of these countries to use its peculiar name for its peculiar actions or possessions. A Royal Proclamation of Oct. 20, 160-1, merged the names of England and Scotland into the general title of Great Britain ; and since that time the use of " British " has been an established fact, but it has not been general. The original copy of Shakspere's King Lear had " English party " in one place and " I smell the blood of an English man" in another. This was probably written early in 1604 ; but a later edition pointedly changed the "English "to "British " in both cases. However, the two countries drew apart again, and it was not till after years of bitter struggle, and in the face of the almost unanimous opposition of the Scotch, that the formal Act of Union was passed in 1707. The traditional words of Queen Anne in giving her assent were worthy of the occasion. " I desire," she said, "and expect from my subjects of both nations that from henceforth they act with all possible respect and kindness to one another, that so it may appear to all the world that they have hearts disposed to become one people." No doubt the Scots, when they " foregather the nicht," will be eager to endorse the petition of their brothers at Home.