Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Governance of Empire: Being Suggestions for the Adaptation of the British Constitution to the Conditions of Union Among the Overseas States
No nobler'political problem was ever presented to men than that which today appeals to the children of Britain throughout the world, - how to! Preserve our great and rapidlyrchanging Empire. The difficulties arise from development and therefore the solution cannot consist in hanging back: it must be a forward, constructive, solution. Of the white population, now rapidly running up towards sixty millions, one third will soon be found outside the original Isl-ands. Canada alone will contain eight millions in 1911 and easily sees its way to at least a hundred millions in a century. The essential fact is that those portions of the [british people possessing Australia, New Zealand, South Afirica and Canada, have grown naturally into sister nations of the United Kingdom, and hence the old forms that purport to concentrate all authority in the Mother Parliament are outgrown and corresponding obligations and responsibilities are thrust upon the Over-seas children. This has been formally recognized in the Im perial Conference of 1907 which thus became a fresh constitutional starting point. The views and institutions of the new people's have therefore to be met, and the autonomy of their national organizations has to be preserved. At the same time what is due to the dignity and historic (precedence of the Motherland. Must be made place for and her burdens lifted. But above all stands the great necessity of workability in the form of the union, - har.mony in itslpolitical mechanism, progressiveness and efiectiveness in its action, and a warmly fraternal sentiment. Unless such a constitution can be de vised - which fortunately seems to be in process of accomplishment the alternative is inevitably a gradual disintegration into separate peoples. Having no more common bond than alliance, and ultimately no permanence of that. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.