GOVERNING AN EMPIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1928, Page 6

GOVERNING AN EMPIRE

]fOAY IT HANGS TOGETHER

ONE KING AND MANY SYSTEMS

Mow the British Empire “lianas” together” is one of the marvels of the world, a constant source oi amazement and to some a cause ol dismay. the a brie of that vast conglomci ation o! countries, now called the British Com mon wealth of Nations, is so delicate that its people dare not submit it to the strain of a written constitution, vet so strong that it can withstand the most terrific shocks and resist continuous efforts at undermining by propaganda. The Commonwealth of Nations we k iow is described by historas the Tb.iid British Empire, and nothing resembling, it has been known in the world before, Ihe first Empiic was a colonial Empire of the old type, and was abruptly extinguished, or, at least, summarily curtailed with the loss of the American colonies in 1776. Then the British Empire was ■•given a second chance.” and this reached the culmination o>f its power and of its development in the Great War. Aftoi that a third British Empire came into existence, new in its form, new in the conditions which it has to face within and without its borders, new even in its name. The Empire then became the British Commonwealth of Nations What is the next step?

THE CONSTITUENT NATIONS. Not even all those who. owing allegiance to one King, are class'lied broad’y as “British.” are aware cf the extent of this Commonwealth of Nations and how its various units became part of one Empire, The constituent parts, and the manner cf-their acquirement, may be briefly summarised as follow :

Capture.—St. Helena, 1(551; Gibraltar, 1704; Malta, 1800; Aden, 1839; Hong Kong, 1841. Capitulation.—Jamaica, 16#5; Ceylon, 1796; Trinidad, 1797; Mahratta States, 1803; St. Lucia, 1803;-British Guinea., 1803; Cape of Good Hope, 1906; Mauritius, 1810; Burmah Lower, 1826 and 18-52; Upper, 1885.

Cessation (by treaty, whether or. not after war)-. —Canada, 1763; Tobago, 1763; St Vincent, 1763; Dominica (LW'eward Islands), 1783; Grenada and the Grenadines (Windward Islands), 1783 1 ,; Seychelles, 1814; Aimere, 1818; Assam,' 1825; Labium, 1846; Berar, 1853; Fedarated Malay States, 1888; British North Borneo, 1887; Brunei, 1888, Nvasaland, 1891; Wei-hai-wei, 1898.

Annexation.-- United Provinces (formed 1901), from Agra and Oudh; Coorg, 1834; Natal, 1843; Punjap, 1849; Andamans, 1858, Nieobcr Islands, 1869; Fiji, 1874; British New Guinea, 1844-88; Nigeria, 18S5, Somaliland, 1885; Socotra, 1886; Zulu land, 1887; British Baluchistan, 1888, British Central Africa, 1891; Sudan, 1898; Orange Free State, 1900; Transvaal, 1900; Cyprus, 1914. Settlement.—Bermuda, 1612; Newfoundland, 1613, Gold Cea«t C'lony, 1618, Leeward Islands, 1623-66; Barbados; 1627; Bahamas, 1629; Gambia, 1631; St. Lucia, 1637; British Honduras, 1640; North-West Territories (AfiWerfcn. and Saskatchewan), 1670; Australia, 1787; Sierra Leone, 1787; Tristan do Cunha, 1816, Straits Settlements, 1819; Falkland Islands, 1833: New Zealand, 1840; British Columbia. 1858; Rhodesia, 1890. Occupation.—Ascension, 1815; Perim. 1857.

Purchase. Madras, 1639; Bombay, 1661, Bengal, 1670; Lagos, lßbl. Protectorates.-—Basutoland, 1883 ;

-ger Coast. 1884; Sarawak, 1888; Zanzibar, 1890; Ungada, 1894, Kenya Colony, 1805; Bocbuanaland, 1895: Swaziland, 1902. BASIC PRINCIPLES.

Originally colonial affairs were administered in an indefinite way bv the Privy Cuncil. At the time of the Restoration a Council of Trade and Plantations was instituted, and later the Board of Trade came into cxistanoe, with executive power entrusted to the Secretary of State for Homo and the Privj Council. Late in the eighteenth century a Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was appointed—tlie colonial Governors were mostly military men, and administration was largely a matter for the war authorities. Toward the middle of tlie nineteenth century the officers were separated. and thence-fonvard, until very recent times, that part of the Empire beyond the British Isles was more or less under control of the Colonial Secretary. Now there is the Dominion Department, which deals with the selfgoverning Dominions and the Imperial Conferences; tlie Crown Colonies and protectorates and the general and legal lepartment.

Though basic principles of government are harmonised throughout th» Empire and the Parliamentary and judical systems are similar in outline, each self-governing section has adopted its own method of administration. Nearby all the former self-governing '•donies have disappeared, as separate political entities, and now form part of one or other of the Dominions. Some of them still retain a Ministry responsible to the local Legislature, as in the case of the Australian States and the Canadian provinces; others have ceased to have a- Ministry, as is the case with the provinces of the Union of 'South Africa, which were formerly self-governing colonies. All of them in Canada, Australia and South Africa are subject, that is, subordinate, to the superior legislation, although in Australia as in the United States of America, the residue of the legislative powers which is not defined by the constitution belongs to the constituent States, and not to the supreme Legislature of the Dominion.

Of the Dominions, Australia is the only true federation. South Africa is a unitary State, and Canada is partly federal and partly unitary, the powers of the constituent provinces l>eing clearly defined, while the residue of undefined powers belongs to the central authority. Crown colonies, of which there are many, arc best described as those colonies and dependencies, apart from protectorates and mandated territories, which are not fully self-governing. The essential feature of their administration is that executive powers are retained and exercised by the Governor, who is an officer of the British Government. There is no'definite rule, and the long list of colonies are in various stages of progress toward the ultimate ideal of self-government. Some colonies, such as Gibraltar, St. Helena, and Wei-hai-wei. have no legislative body at all. Others have wholy nominated councils, and the majority have partly elected legislative bodies.

The Legislatures of the various provinces of British India are mainly elecive and partly nominated, hut these arc not colonies, and, like the rest of India, come within the jurisdiction of the Indian office.

The protectorates are supervised by either governors or commissioners, sometimes, as in the ease of Nigeria, with the addition of a commander-in-chief, assisted by an Executive Council and a Legislative Council, hut usually through organised native institutions. Mandated territories, as in the case of New Guinea are governed a« “integral portions” of the responsible government’s territory.