PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE.
shoulder with the taxpayer of the mother country. The conditions on which that help will be given were tersely put by Sir Wilfrid Laurier in the Dominion House of Commons on March 14, 1900. 'If our future military contribution were ever to be considered compulsory—a condition which does not exist—I would say to Great Britain: If you want us to help, you must call us to your Councils.' This demand can only be met by giving to every part of our Empire which bears its fair share of Imperial burdens a constitutional voice in the control of Imperial policy.
Colonial Representation: constitutional difficulties.How is this to be done? It has been suggested that Colonial representatives might be added to the Privy Council, to the House of Lords, or to the House of Commons. None of these suggestions offer a satisfactory solution of the difficulty. The Privy Council and the House of Lords do not control national expenditure. The House of Lords would hardly be a congenial atmosphere for the representative of a democratic community. The House of Commons does not deal solely with Imperial questions. What is to be the position of the Colonial representative in the House of Commons when, for instance, an English Education Bill is under discussion.
Modification of Constitution necessary.It is, I believe, impossible, under our present constitutional arrangements, to provide for Colonial representatives taking part in the direct control of Imperial policy. Imperial Federation, therefore, implies a modification of the constitution for which public opinion is certainly not yet prepared, either in the Colonies or the mother country,
Preliminary steps.Australia has just established her Commonwealth Constitution. It is impossible to suppose that Aus-86
