The Colonial Office has offered Cyprus a constitution. It is
of the mixed type, the Christian inhabitants electing nine members of the Legislative Council, the Mussulmans three, and the Governor six. The idea evidently is that the Govern- ment, as in all Crown Colonies, shall in extreme cases have a majority, the Turks being expected to vote with the English, and the Governor bolding the casting vote. The Greeks are delighted, but the Mnssulmans, who see in the plan the loss of their old ascendancy, are so indignant that they threaten to abstain from the elections, the effect of which will be that the Greeks will be absolute. The Constitution may, therefore, have unexpected results. It is not always wise to be more just than public opinion will tolerate, and, in spite of Indian precedents, we dislike this division by creeds. Would it not be wiser to have nine official members, of whom three might be leading Turks, and nine representatives, leaving it to the Governor to use his casting vote on his responsibility P That is, if we remember aright, the plan in Ceylon, the most liberally governed and prosperous of all the Crown Colonies.
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