340 Timehri. 



which I must leave to you. but let us. for the sake of argument, assume 

 that we are ready to consider this matter of political union in any scheme 

 of Federation. 



We are first of all faced with the difficulty that the different colonies 

 have different constitutions ; even if we surmount that trouble we are 

 faced with the difficulty that Federation, in its true sense, means a central 

 Parliament controlling all rhe States of the Union except where powers 

 are delegated to local parliaments for the administration of local affairs. 

 This may be suitable for Continental Unions, but in the West Indian 

 islands, with their different traditions and their strong local feelings, 

 such governance, across miles of sea and by those possibly only partially 

 informed of the problems involved, would, in my opinion and I think in the 

 opinion of most, make not so much for union as for disunion. Indeed, I 

 think the conclusion is justifiable that Federation, as carried out in Canada, 

 in Australia, in South Africa, is for many years to come impracticable for 

 the West Indies. 



A Federal Council. 



So we find that the various schemes for Federation which have been 

 suggested and attempted in the past, and with the history of which I 

 shall not weary you to-night, have all been wrecked upon this rock of 

 Central (Government. To 1113" mind, the only practical scheme so far put 

 forward is that of the Hon. C. Gideon Murray, Administrator of 

 St. Vincent, for a partial form of Federation. He avoids the consti- 

 tutional question, the interfering with local Governments, by proposing 

 a Federal Council under a High Commissioner with representatives ap- 

 pointed by the different colonies in such numbers as to give them their 

 proper proportion of voice in the Government. This Council would not 

 concern itself with local Government, which would be carried on as now. 

 but would deal only with certain definitely specified subjects of common 

 interest, such as those to which I have already referred and as agreed 

 upon by the various Governments concerned. A political union of this 

 sort is as simple, as rational and as feasible as any commercial union. 

 But a Council which only discusses matters without any executive powers 

 is apt to descend to the same plane as that of a debating society. There- 

 fore it must have executive powers on these specified matters, and to have 

 executive powers it must have spending powers. This means a common 

 fund and Mr. Murray suggests the allocation of a certain proportion — 

 from 3 to 5 per cent. — of the revenues of each of the colonies. With 

 this the Council could meet its expenses and pay the various subsidies 

 which it. as representing the whole of the West Indies, would have to 

 arrange. I know that criticism is easy — it always is — but one cannot 

 help thinking that in such matters as the existing shipping combines, 

 as the Canadian pilgrimage, when we certainly went forth collectively 

 but each to make an individual and not a collective bargain, as the recent 

 Mail contracts, where each colony had to play with its cards on the table 

 while the other side held its hand up, as the cable question with its only 

 partially satisfactory solution, a United West Indies would have done 

 more than the present scattered units have accomplished. 



