PLAN TO REORGANISE THE EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 254, 22 July 1919, Page 5

PLAN TO REORGANISE THE EMPIRE

CONVERSION INTO ONE NATION IMPERIAL-PARLIAMENT OF SINGLE ASSEMBLY PROPOSED CONVENTION TO FRAME CONSTITUTION By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright (Rec. July 21, 8.10 p.m.) New York, July 15. The "New York Tribune's" London correspondent learns that a Bill is being drafted for submission to the' British Parliament in September providing for the reorganisation of the Empire. The plan would convert the sixty component parts of tho Empire into one nation, with an Imperial Parliament for the purpose of, co-ordinating the military, naval, and business functions of the different Dominions. Each Dominion would retain its own Parliament. The Imperial Parliament would consist ,of a single Assembly, with the Ministry responsible to its membership. There would bo 1-10 representatives in all from the United Kingdom, Canada, Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, in the proportion of one member for each half million of white. peoplo. Tho chief duties of tho Imperial Parliament would be to settle disputes between till} Dominions, make all treaties with other Powers, and to declare war. Other duties would be to control the Imperial Army and Navy, and determine and be solely responsible for the Empire's policies regarding citizenship and naturalisation; to impose taxes on tho bnsis of equal contributions by every citizen according to his relative wealth, thus eliminating the inequality under which the British Islanders now _ pay many times as much as tho Dominions. The Imperial Ministry would include Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs, War, tho Navy, Crown Colonies, and tho .Imperial Treasury, and fivo Secretaries without portfolio on the basis of one for each Dominion. The plan also provides for an Imperial Supreme Court. The first step towards carrying out this plan would be the calling together of a Constitutional Convention for framing a constitution which would contain a provision that no amendment of the,-, constitution could be made unless approved by a majority of the Dominions as well as a majority of the Imperial - Parliament.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.