The Self-governing Colonies.Let us turn to the great self-governing colonies in North America, Australia, and South Africa. Surely the issues on which the general election in Canada was fought three months ago, the issue on which the general election in New South Wales has just decided, the visit of the young and able Premier of South Africa to this country, should awaken the most serious attention to the relations between the mother country and her Colonies. The issue in Canada was whether there should or should not be unrestrained reciprocity with the United States. The party led by Sir John Macdonald maintained that complete reciprocity with the United States meant ultimate absorption in the United States. Though his opponents disclaimed any intentional disloyalty to the mother country, the Canadian people decided that Sir John Macdonald was right in his contention. In New South Wales the issue was more direct. Sir Henry Parkes, the G.O.M. of Australia, as he is often called, put forward the proposal for Australian Federation, as a Federation under the Crown; Mr. Dibbs, the leader of the Opposition, went for Federation and Independence. Sir Henry Parkes has been returned with thirty-eight of his supporters; Mr. Dibbs has lost his seat and only nineteen of the opposition have been elected. The results of these elections are satisfactory; but they do not remove the necessity for seriously considering our position.
In each of these groups of Colonies there are responsible legislatures, which make what laws they please for the internal government of their respective Colonies. At the head of each it is true there is a Governor, who acts as deputy of the Queen. The external affairs of the great Colonies are in the hands of the Colonial
