^A'u nkv ADJUSTABLE FKDKIIATION. It haH nlwnyH sermcfl to the that a very siniplo Hdliitioii uniilil, UN tliu natural mil', forcu itself qiiii'tly into lUHuiiHHion on tliu jiroliltnn nf Inipvriiil Keilcrution. Soniu iluli- iiiti' pliui i» |iluinly ncoilcil, if wc am to ovur- I'oniu thu niiNgivingH of the ]>co|>1i'h int<'rcMtt'il, at entering into a new ruliition of i>ni'li vaxt iniportunec and totally nntrieil l<inil. The plan niUHt alao l>c no elalmrato uontrlvanee or thcoretiial experiment, and nnint auk no ^'M'at outlay, to Iw Inst if it ihi not BUc icimI. Hut tlie thief feature it niunt place lievoiid »uspl<ion ia thatrelatingtotlM'lilnrliex and iMiwerB of the diireront great coniinuni- tIeM that are propoHed as uienilH'rH of tin' union. Kttcli of thene will lie jealoiiH to kc'i'|i intact all that it pnsBciiseH and no iinpciial council or conRtitution iiiiiHt Interfere willi thcin. 'J'lio Kritifih Parliament niiixt lie supreme in llritain, the colonial I'arliamcntH, if anything, even more free than at prcMiit. It mUHt lie a confederate, not a federal, union. Uoom miiBt lie tct't fur that nationul inilcpendeiiee after which each colony is feel in^ and which is not int^omiuitililc uitli fcihralion. A plan answering to tlicm' de- mands is not impossilile. A Hatisfactoiy solution indeed appears ii)xiu tlu^ surface, and it is satisfactory for the sole reason that it i« simple, natural and perfectly cniitrollalile. I might name itadjustivlile federation. Kirst of all. Ictus give up the idea of start- ing with a Counci] : a confei-ence of comniis. sioners from Britain and the colnnies is enough to commence with. Let the com- niunitics, through this body, state and in- vestigate the p<iints, detail liy iletail, in which expense could lie 8.ivcd or other ad- vantage gained by any sort of action in eoninion. Let the commissioners go lack and 'eport, and then, further empowered, meet again and arrange for the snlutioii of each ilctail by itself upon which an agrei-ment can lie arrived at ; and leuve the rest aside. Am far as (,'anada is concerned, for instunrt-. she would arrange, in the matter of a consulai- system, for the appointment of a consul or ambassador of her own at I'aiis, Washington. Uio Janeiro and at any other points where her interests called for it, ami give him what powers and *itle she pleaseil, while over most of tile rest of the world she would use and pay a share for the general system of the Kmpire. ISy this method Caniida imild make her commercial treaties separately where ile- sired. A joint system of oirence and defence is perhaps the most obvious eoniniou iiiteiest of the Kinpiic. I am ghnl to remark that, among the other generons feelings of the colonists toward the .Mother Country there is a growing conviction that all ought to contribute to the expense of the general protecting arnuiment. The commissioners could, I think, without .lilticulty arrive at some temporary agreement as to the propor- tions of ciuitribntions. Kacli colony would, for the most part, provide its own foitillca- tioiis and milttia. As to classilieatioii of wars into imperial anil local and their treatnu-nt, this I consider presents no greater ditticulty than the ordinary one of legal classilieatioii. If a generous spirit, especially toward the weak mcmliers, be fostered, all dilliiiilties arc solvalile ; and a generous spirit I think, could not but animate such a body, met upon such principles, for no other tc^mper would attain any result in u vidiintary union. It can lie seen how this scheme of adjust able Federation could be applied to the otUcr <|Uesti<inB, and into what a flexible condition it would throw our Union, leaving all free, yet binding each to the rest wherever a bond would give strength or advantage ; teaching the peoples of the empire to know luie an- other ; nay, preimring the way also for the coming alliance of Knglish-speuking nations and for that certain final constitution, " The Federation of the World." The Conference of Commissioners would crystallize gradually int<i a Council and decisions be left to its vote. W. D. LlUIITIl.\LL. 72101