The Isle of Man.

Manawatu Herald, 12 April 1894, Page 3

The Isle of Man.

The peculiar position held by the inhabitants of Mona, the Me of Man, with regard to the other portions of the United Kingdom has just been made fresh to us by some late proceedings in the Manx Chancery Court, held at Douglas, the chief town in which the Clerk of the Rolls gave judgment in a petition of the Attorney-General for a mandamus to compel the Douglas Magistrates ; to issue a summons against a militiaman who came to reside in the Isle | of Man, and who had failed to attend the annual training. The Justices I had refused to issue a summons . under the Militia Act, 1882, on the grounds that such Act was an Act of ' the Imperial Parliament which did pot expressly state on th.c face of it

that it was applicable to the Island j and was, therefore, not applicable. In giving a lengthy decision, the Judge held that Imperial Acts, unless it were expressly stated on the face of them that they wera applicable to the island, were not operative there, and this being sol] the Justices were right in the course they pursued. In the course of the argument reference had been made to the serious consequences that might ensue if it were held that the Militia Act did not apply to the island, but the Court had nothing to do with those consequences, and was not responsible for them. In support of his decision the Judge quoted Coke, Selden, Blackstone, and otherg to the effect that the island was an ancient and absolute king dom. t , Mona is an island of Great Britain, situated in the Irish Sea, and the position taken up by the Master of the Rolls shows the, position the Manxmen hold is unique. The island is governed by an independ* ent Legislature called the Tynwald, consisting of two branches — the Governor and Council, and the House of Keys. Bill after having passed both Houses are signed by the members, and then sent for the Koyal Assent, — the quorum of the Upper House or Council, being the Governor and two members, and of the Lower House or Keys thirteen members, the majority of the whole number (24). A measure therefore which has passed through all the stages in both Houses may be afterwards frustrated by members declining to sign it. After a Bill receives the Royal Assent, it does not become law until promulgated in the English and Manx languages on the Tynwald Hill. On the promulgation taking place a certificate thereof is signed by members ot the Court. The early history of the Isle of Man appears to have been a troubled one. About the year G2O A.D. Edwin, the king of Northumberland subdued it; then Maguus of Norway got it in 1266 ; in 24 years afterwards King Edward occupied 'it at the wish of the people j then the Scots seized it in 1818 ; and was taken from them by the Earl of Salisbury in 1848, whom Edward 111 created king of Man. Afterwards it fell to care of the earl of Northumberland ; then to Sir John Stanley and to his descendants the earls of Derby, and by descent fell to the Duke of Athol in 1785. Parliament purchased all his rights to the island in 1829. The island i 3 about 34 miles long, and from 10 to 12 broad, and has a population of 55,598. The capital is Castleton with a population of 2,243, but the chief town is Douglas having a population of 15,719. The land is rich in minerals, lead, iron, blende, and slate, and exports large quantities of agricultural produce. The natives belong to a _ mingled race of Celts and Norwegians, and the language in which the Celtic element is predominant is known as Eanx. _ - —