248 THK Tlir.AlY OF WASIIINGTOX. 



nc'ss and good-will, ratler tliaii of th« jealous tcna- 

 oiuusness of Hovorcigii ]>ow(.'r. AVhon tiie Dominion 

 nliall cxpivss di'siro to ])iit on tlie dignity of a sover- 

 eign State, she Avill not encounter any obstacles on 

 the j)ai't of the Metropolis. 



In regard to the Dominion of Canada, as to the 

 Colonies of Australasia, the power of the Metro])olis 

 appears tliere chiefly m the person of the Govcrnoi*, 

 and in the occasional annulment of laws of the local 

 legislatures deemed incomj)atil>le with those of the 

 Empire. On the other hand, the Colonies, which iiavo 

 necessary relations of their own with neighboring 

 CTOvernments, as in the case of Canada relatively 

 to the United States, can not treat thereon them- 

 selves, as their interests requii-e they should, but 

 •must act through the intervention of the Metrojiolis, 

 which, in this res])ect, may have other intei'ests of its 

 own superior and perhaps injurious to those of tho 

 Colonies. 



^leauwhile the Dominion has now to provide for 

 the cost of her own military defense, and that, not 

 against any enemies of her own, but against possible 

 enemies of the ;Moth(!r Country. The complications 

 of Kuro])ean or of Asiatic politics may thus envelop 

 tlic Dominion in disaster, for causes wholly foreign to 

 lier, as much so as if she were a sovereign State. In 

 such an emergency, the Dominion would be temj)ted 

 to assume an attitude of neutrality, if not of indepen- 

 dence. 



All these considerations show liow slender Is the 

 tie which attaches the Dominion to Great Britain. 



