18 MARCH 1911, Page 3

On February 8th last the Foreign Office issued an important

paper containing reports from His Majesty's representatives in America and Switzerland respecting the Referendum. Both reports show that the principle of the Poll of the People once introduced takes firm hold, and is recognised as a most valuable institution, while no support is given to the con- tention that it is destructive of the representative system Indeed, an interesting judgment of the Supreme Court of Oregon is quoted, which lays down that the Referendum does not destroy the representative system. " The people have simply reserved to themselves a larger share of legislative power." That is a very sound statement of the position.