LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
rTo THE EDITOR OE TEE SEECTAT011...]
Sta,—In an article in the Spectator of October 22nd, headed "A Modest Demand," the writer disposes in a somewhat off- hand fashion of certain resolutions in favour of responsible government recently passed by the Legislative Council of Western Australia.
He says, referring to the Colonies generally, that "not one of them, at least since 1850, ever pretended to lordship over such a stupendous territory as that now modestly claimed by the Legislative Council of Perth." In the first place, as will be presently shown, " lordship " is not claimed over the territory by the colonists, as that belongs to the Crown, and must continue so to do so long as the Colony remains a part of the British Empire, whatever form of local government it may possess. But the writer of the article in question is apparently unaware of the fact that in 1860, when Queensland* was erected into a separate Colony, with a territory of some 650,000 square miles in extent, and a population of about 28,000 souls only, it was endowed with the boon for which Western Australia now asks, in the shape of responsible government in very much the same form, in principle, as that enjoyed by the other great Australian Colonies.
• To be accurate, the territory of Queensland in 1860 comprised 606,000 square miles, with a population, as stated above, of 28,000. Western Australia contains 1,000,000 square miles, with a population of over 40,000. The parallel, therefore, -as regards the proportion of population to territory, between the position of Queensland when in effect that Colony obtained responsible government, and the position of Western Australia at the present moment, is remarkably close.
South Australia, when it obtained its present form of govern- ment, had a population of some 104,000 souls, but the extent of territory within its limits was 903,425 square miles. Bat the chief question raised by the article referred to is not, I take it, as to the proportion to be observed between population and territory when a Colony desires to obtain a more liberal form of government ; it is rather as to the control of the lands within its limits.
In neither of the cases just mentioned, nor in those of the other great Australian Colonies, nor, in short, by the form of govern- ment now sought to be obtained by Western Australia, has the Crown surrendered, nor would it surrender, control over Australian lands. The Australian Colonies are, to all intents and purposes, part and parcel of the British Empire, and by the terms of the measure conferring responsible government upon each Colony, the Crown reserves the right, by its repre- sentative the Governor for the time being, to grant or withhold its assent to any and every legislative measure; and measures falling within certain categories are expressly reserved for the sanction of the Crown,—that is to say, they must have the direct assent of the Horne Government before they can become law.
Again, as a matter of fact, in not one of the Australasian Colonies (the chief of which have enjoyed responsible govern- ment for upwards of thirty years) has any serious question or difference of opinion between the Imperial Government and that of the Colony in connection with the disposal of the lands (which, until alienated, are in all the Colonies styled " Crown Lands"), arisen. In the great Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia, the qualified control of the lands of each was conceded by the Crown—not on the "bare chance" that the then comparatively small number of colonists " would be just and reasonable in their dealings and regulations" with regard to them, but with the well-founded certainty that the strong practical common-sense of such essentially British com- munities rendered it virtually impossible that they should deal unjustly or unreasonably with matters so vitally affecting their own interests. Moreover, as I have already remarked, the Crown has the power to interpose (in the improbable event of its inter- position being necessary), to prevent hasty or injudicious legislation in such matters from taking effect.
It may not be oat of place here to allude to the marvellous progress made by the Colonies just mentioned since the beginning for them of the era of responsible government. It would perhaps be too much to say that the form of government should be credited with such progress ; but it will hardly be disputed, at any rate by colonists, that the scope for and encouragement to enterprise afforded by it have largely contributed to the wonderful development of the resources of the Australian Colonies generally.
On the other hand, the somewhat anomalous position of Western Australia as regards its form of government, differing as it does from that enjoyed by the other portions of the continent of which it forms a part (the boundaries dividing Western Australia from contiguous colonies being merely arbitrary lines), gives rise to an impression, not perhaps quite logical, and certainly not well-founded, that the Colony does not afford the same scope for enterprise directed to the develop- ment of its vast and scarcely touched resources, as the other Colonies present and have presented for some years past. The imperfect knowledge which prevails in England with regard to Australia generally, and the Western Colony more particularly, is somewhat surprising to a colonist, and is for many reasons to be deplored. In this instance, the misquotation some- times heard of Pope's line, that " A little knowledge is a dangerous thing," would be very applicable.
Lastly, let me remark that it would be very unjust and un- reasonable to assume that such an essentially English and thoroughly loyal community as that composed by the people of Western Australia would make a worse use of the greater freedom of legislative action for which they ask, than has been made of the like privilege by the other Australian Colonies.—I [Our correspondent has not given any answer to the main contention of the article, that, looking to the interest of the Empire, it would be bad policy to relinquish full control over the territory of West Australia. Theoretically, the Crown retains a power of interposition when responsible government has been granted. That is well known; but it is also well known that, except in outrageous cases, the power is not and cannot be exercised.—En. Spectator.]
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