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and the chaos it test, none is more urgent thanthe reorganisatio of the nited in domand the Dominions of the Crown Our antiqUe. Unique, abnorma Constitution is obviolasty nfit for
loudi callin for admission to the govertiment of the Empire. What a change it is sine a hundred ears ago the were the Colonies India, nee the possession os a tradin compan3, is receiving a Libera Constitution, an grumbles fiei cel that it is notiood nough. reland de lares itfel tot an independent Republic, an in paris it is o in faet. Mome Rule ali round the universat cry the inevitable demand of the vas populations hocin War have proved thei fore and thei ambitions-peoplewho reo Britain ha the Roman world was O Rome hen Iulius Caesar admitte them to o veras the equulsit id Rome. The Empires are passing away And nolint arethe beeomin Republies, but thenare disintegrating
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into ethnie, internecine Reptibiles Germany. Austria, Russia, Turhey, China, have throw offΕmperors, and with the Bathan and the alti rades
The Covenant and the solvent ery of Self-determinatio have hirled round the wori an have stat ted
serment more potent than any of Rousseau Luther,
nations distinet in ingua te, religion, a VS, ndhabiis It is hi h lime that he relations os thesesorty nation to Parhamen an our anomalous Constitution ere revise With a vie v to rea facis. France, the nite States, witgerland Portugal, vere Republies With o Emperors, no Subjectnationalities os an importanee. The enormoUS X-tent an infinite diversity of those emover makeSthenas almos insolubie anxit is monstrous' leave them in the hund of that esset institution-the Par-liament ut estutinSter. I honou and respectisur statesmen hos honesty, public spirit, self-eonti Ol, and good ense are Un- equulle in an age; ut they are at the merey os adventurer an nonentities. The praefice an honeo Parhament ere forme when it consiste os a single Class- governing Olass, of wealth, i hireed-ing, a Common edueation, and loyalty to the Crownans Constitution inisters continue these anti-
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insuli is reported V sar and widely the gutte Press. Minister are satisfied i the ea assure 'heirhonoui able friendi that 'the rumour are incorrect . V What they should do is to spea to the Peopte in language that the Peopte understand. It is redo nised no v that ars ament in iis presentiorni is an esset institution, eoauserit obstinatelyelings o fornis and funetions hieli,ere devised whenal the condition urere different. A centur orri voag it a the Legislatur os a moderate in domruled by a patriolte ioverning class. ' o it is the
Executive publie meetin pretendin to ille ver an unWield agglomeration O nationalities permeated vitii mi est, sedition an revolution Themotis of Commons is three times to numerous it is chol ed vitii iis antique tales, ornas, an conventions it hasone hundred times to much to do, illi impossibietash over hieli it umbies and bliuideriin die talli. rationa executive ody should no Contain morethan a doren members a rationa legislative Ody
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Some years ago, in essays in the ineleenth Centiiry, I trie to describe them and thei remedies. t asproposed O reduce the number os members, o have Shori Sittings, regula Session at reasonable interValS,
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by him ascis Phad put a rusti hand on the Ar of the
Covenant. In ali atters of Parhamentar praetice Μr. Gladstone as a ran Conservative- trus hewus the lust. A time-limit o speeelies, e thoughi, wOuidi us horribiems to return to judietat torture. At this no doubi involves an entire reconstructionos ou Parhamentar system, an even a revision f
no the vast metropolitan area as a further Unit.
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Then contes the probleni o unis3 in these nationalbodies, as et a the lain O the Dominion and of Indiario enter the Imperia Couneil. It is a complex an tremendous problem, ut it is inevitabie undurgent. The ne v Iristi Bill, and the latins of the oversea Common ventilis, fore it,pon iis . his isno the pia de to discusscit, und I domo presume evento osse any scheme of the Lind; ut it musti faced-an at nee Furthei more, it involves the re- organisationis our hole system o Imperia Govern-ment, and indeed, o our venerable Britisti Constitution iself. early every State in Europe has revisedit Constitution in recent earS. There is nothin saered, ternat, monilmental,
abolit our Constitution-whieli has the unique qualityofiein neither Titie nor rigid, nor inflexibie, nor protecte against hange an developinent ascis thecas in Frane and the nite States. The singularthing, as de oequeville suid, is that there is io Britisti Constitution. It is composed os ancient
Aets of Parhament, amendin Acts, XplanatoryActs various traditions, eustoriis, immemoria praetices, judicia decisions an Parhamentur reSohltioris . his composite mas of si us rutes, judgmenis, custonis, and tradition has neve been pub-
more remarhable it an e completet altere and replaced by a single et o Parhament. There is nothin treasonabi or even irregula in propOSin a
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drasti revision of the Constitution. A drasti revision has venaegun. As the Iristi Bil has roken into ur Parhamentar system, Whiel the ery fHome Rule ali round radicatly brealis p so the imminence of a sortis Irish Republic hallenges the ver tentare of the Crown. f this ere to e continue in an forni, our coins, proclamationS, Proto- eois an banknotes ould have to e varied. The Inited insidoni, rariti. Omn Neae, ould beeomeas obsolet a Franc Neae. Dam a frona regrestin that we have no rittenan rigides,aw of the Constitution. The ad that it amat an timete amendedi Aeli Parhamentias great advantages, at least for a natio that nee Was test Centre, an it suit our praetient, ComPromising an illogica turn os ind. ut now, the Constitution is actuali bein change in the regularWay, and far greater Changes are urgent an inevit- able. It might be well, then, o Consolidate the masso Constitutional rules hiel, fuit iis to-da in a single ne Aet whioli,ouldie halin the Continent theycat an organi law.' o proteo it a belli finalor unalterable ould e die. Such a consolidatingAet ould have to expres the constitution and powers of the Centra Imperia Coundit an canimagine these to e quit limite an few3, the constitutio an powers of the national assemblies, and , I trusi, a Senate of Ome kind, elective as in France any the United citates, thoe relative soWers is
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National County, and Municipat hodies, the law of Nationat an Loca taxation, and finalty the righis, obligations and hereditar successionis the Crown.
imperious hallenges o dea a least illi soni of them at present. And real statesmen should considera systemati planin hieli thenean aliae solved in aform ut ne praetical, masterly, and in the spirit ofBritis traditions. These various branches of a complete Constitutionhan together, and the cannotae treate independently. he reae on acti ther an must e re-garde a relate paris Da systematic hole. It is bictask, ut no more arduous tha that of the great men ho framed the Constitutionis the United States. I trusi, caninymen o foresight equat to Franklin, Washington, Patrio Henry, and their
colleagues Euen in recent memor We have Seen successsul ne Constitutions evolvediuti revolution
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The amous Act-12-13 ill and ary, 17001701 A.D.-is commonly called the Act of Settiement, but iis setilement has been frequently amende and revised an in iis centra potnt i has ecomeflagranti odiolis o ur feelings to-day. O that presently But there are in idental anomalles Thebitte struggle hich overthrew the tuaris of Romansaith has long passed Parhamen andissice are nomopen to ali sects of Protestants to Catholies, to Jews,to ali fornis os belle biblica o ethical, gnosti ormaterialist. There are mission Oftur Catholio fellowsubjecis in England Scottand, reland Canada,
Australia, and verywhere, an it is monstrous O
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infinitesimal par of the ing' subjecis is contrar toali modern ideas of religious equality, and What is worse the ath requires the Overeig preserveto the Bishops and clergno the Chiarches committedio thei charge thei right an privileges. eknow ha troubie his ath cause in the time of the Catholio mancipatio an to Victoria in the Difestabsistiment of the Chure o England in Ire-land In the imminent Difestablishment of the Chureliis England in England what sinoin to bedone In truth, uel in the Coronation eremonyand the barbari rites copie from Bygantine Eniperor in the tentii century, and certainly the Sectarian ath wil have to e revised. come o to the vita potnt-the Sue ession to the Crown. O the childlessnes of the tuari Protestant in 1700 the Crown was limite to the 'heir of the bod of Sophia, ite os the Elector of
Austria, esides princelet in Germany Austria, Italy, and Spain. It ould amus a genealogis tomahe assis of the me and women ho are ieir of theiod of the Electres Sophia, rimos of them un- destrabies, many of them Demies, and ome of theminiamous. It is urgent to find a ne root so the litte