and provision was also made that as soon as certain conditions should arise, its northern portion should also be detached as a separate colony. These became effective in 1859 when Queensland was erected into a separate government. Act 13 and 14 Vict., c. 59, declared that the colonists of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania might formulate the details of their own respective administrations, and alter the constitutions conferred upon them. In each case was the double-Chamber system adopted, but both New South Wales and South Australia made the Upper Chamber nominated, the Lower elective, whilst Victoria and Tasmania preferred the more democratic system of electing both Chambers. Now that responsible government was adopted by the four colonies, the governors lapsed into merely nominal representatives of the Crown, the colonial Cabinets on the other hand developed in power, while their tenure of office depended upon the good will of both branches of the popular body. Upon the granting of responsible government to these colonies, fifty-eight years after the first settlement was founded, the white population of the whole of Australia was 505,906; during the fifty years under responsible government it has increased to 4,119,481.

Separated from Australia by 1200 miles of sea, New Zea- New Zealand. land has never had much in common with her sister colonies. The future of New Zealand as a British possession has generally been painted by Englishmen in glowing colours. It is firmly believed by many that it will become the Great Britain of the southern hemisphere. Yet the pleasant and easy conditions under which its inhabitants are reared must militate against success, should these islands ever be invaded by a people bred under less fortunate circumstances.

In 1769 Captain Cook formally annexed New Zealand to the Crown of Great Britain.

The beginning of British authority in New Zealand was Colonization in 1814 when the first missionaries commenced their labours of the islands. in the Bay of Islands. These were Messrs. Hall and Kendall, who were sent from New South Wales. At this time, too,

the governor of that colony proclaimed the natives of New
Zealand to be under his protection.
Mr. Kendall was ap-

pointed resident magistrate of the Bay of Islands.

The

Form of

mission established under the auspices of the Church Mis-
sionary Society was augmented by the arrival of several
enthusiastic young clergymen who did not confine themselves
to teaching the tenets of Christianity but instructed the natives
in agriculture and other useful pursuits. The mission settle-
ment was soon followed by a settlement of fishers and traders.
But colonization in the strict sense of the term, that is, with
official occupation of the land, began in 1839 by the founda-
tion of the New Zealand Company. In this year two ex-
peditions—one from France and the other from England-
started from their respective countries for New Zealand.
The British ships arrived three days prior to their competitors,
thus securing British sovereignty over the islands, and this
party of settlers laid the foundations of Wellington. In 1840
the first lieutenant-governor was appointed and with another
party of settlers located Auckland. The advancement of the
colony was now so rapid that in 1841 the Imperial Government
erected it into an independent establishment.
The reputa-
tion of the aborigines as a warlike and savage people deterred
the fearful from immigrating into this new possession of the
Empire. This resulted in the early settlers being a brave,
independent and hardy people, traits distinguishable in their
descendants of to-day. One advantage which this region en-
joyed over Australia consisted in the absence of convicts, and
this no doubt had something to do with their greater purity
in social and political life. Its annals are therefore free from
any pollution of morals, social or political.

In 1840 a legislative council with an executive was government. created. Hardly had this constitution been granted before an agitation commenced for responsible government, and, in 1846, as a result, a Bill known as the New Zealand Government Bill was passed through the Imperial Parliament. The absurd provisions of this charter were due to the influence exercised in England at this time by the directors of the New Zealand Company. This measure divided the colony into two provinces, and provided for the establishment of representative institutions. These divisions were named New Ulster and New Munster. Each province was to have a separate executive council and a lieutenant-governor under the governor-in-chief, while a general legislative council was

to make laws for the whole colony. There was also provision for numerous municipal corporations invested with fearful and wonderful powers. The Maories were to be cooped up in arbitrarily formed "aboriginal districts". Sir George Grey, the then governor, proclaimed the Act, and appointed lieutenant-governors of the provinces-beyond this he did not go, but suspended its operation for five years.

The Imperial Government at the same time passed another hasty and ill-conceived Bill to define Maori landtillers on purely British principles, ignorant of the fact that they were legislating over the heads of the colonists and for savages. It is here that we realize what an important part individuals have played in the moulding of the Empire in several directions. Sir George Grey absolutely refused to enforce this Act at all. The Ministry was wise enough to acknowledge its error-but the colony was not yet under responsible government, although a constitution granting it, in such an absurd form that it was totally unacceptable, was still in force. Sir George Grey set himself to work and practically designed a federal constitution which was passed by the Imperial Parliament in 1852. This Act was drafted for the purpose of reconciling the Crown and the late company's heirs. It resulted in Auckland-the crownsettled district; Wellington, Nelson and New Plymouth, settled by the company; and Otago and Canterbury, settled as church colonies, each receiving an elected council and a superintendent of its own, while all six were controlled as to important and non-local matters by an elective assembly and a nominee council. For two years this system was worked with an executive of permanent crown officials; the Ministers then became responsible to the legislature, holding office only while the assembly supported them.

colonies

have been

We have now briefly described the acquisition and the Just as the early colonization of those more important units which go to make up the British Empire; Canada, Australia, South Africa federated and New Zealand have already risen to national rank. The in the past, so may the grant of responsible government to the colonies found whole Empire opponents in England on the ground that it would prove to be but the prelude to complete independence, but colonial political activity found a vent in a safer direction, and that

the future.

be federated

was in the grouping together of colonial neighbours into separate federations. Wise statescraft may carry with success this federal process to its logical conclusion, for just as these small self-governing colonies refused to recognize that local autonomy was the termination of their political career, but proceeded still farther and federated themselves into larger geographical units, so it is to be expected that the political activity of the confederacies will actuate them as their component parts were previously actuated. Hence we may see these complete units, together with the scattered portions of the Empire, being gradually brought together as a federated whole. The sovereignty of the seas is ours-the highway to each of our possessions—all that is required in the creation of a federated empire is the co-ordination of the present diversified form of imperial governance.

CHAPTER VI.

THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION AND ITS CHARTERS.

THE British Constitution, because of the nature of its growth Government and its local colour, is more intimately concerned with the of the United Kingdom government of the United Kingdom than with that of the and of the vast Empire it has collected to itself. The varying parts Empire. which go to make up the Empire are, however, governed under this constitution by charters modelled upon it and containing all its principles. These charters are written documents, more or less elastic in their powers. The object of this work necessitates a brief description of the parent constitution and those that have sprung from it, for whilst under the former the Empire was built, it is the daughter charters which act as links in the retention of the component parts. It is our intention to endeavour to show how important it is that the charters should not clash with each other or with the original constitution from which they derive their power, dignity, and authority; to attempt to prove how little is really required of either the main instrument or its numerous auxiliaries to bring them to work in such unison as to effect the maximum efficiency; also to illustrate certain weaknesses which result in waste of governing power and efficiency; and finally, to suggest such amendments to the instruments concerned as may direct the several units in the direction that will lead to a federated empire.

British

It may with a certain amount of truth be said of the Origin of the British Constitution that it was made in Germany, for its Constitution. chief features date back to the communal system of government practised among the Angles and Saxons of that country prior to their invasion of Britain. the end of the first century of the some particulars of this system:

66

Tacitus, writing about
Christian era, gives us

They have a king, or