cpap. 111] THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA 949
cerned is assumed as given ; the preamble merely recites the
approval of their existing Parliaments, without reference to
the people at all. In the case of the Commonwealth of
Australia, in every instance not merely did the Parliaments
assent but referenda took place, so that the electors were
fully responsible for the decision to accept federation. In
the case of Canada the electors were not in all cases consulted,
 inasmuch as the Governments of Canada and Nova
Scotia on their own responsibility accepted confederation.
For that error the Nova Scotia Government were turned out
of office at the next general election, and Nova Scotia returned
to the Federal Parliament members pledged to agitate for
the undoing of the Union so far as it concerned Nova Scotia.
Eventually it was found possible, through the influence of
the Imperial Government, and by the exercise of tact on
the part of the Federal Government, to arrive at a compromise,
 under which the Federal Parliament undertook to
pay Nova Scotia a larger sum than it originally had contemplated
 as a contribution towards the provincial finances,
and the province acquiesced in the new arrangement and
Mr. Howe entered the Dominion Parliament.
It must be confessed that the precedents were in favour
of a fuller consultation of the electors than was in this case
required.! It must be admitted, moreover, that the Parliaments
 then existing were not elected with a view to union
or federation, and that it is somewhat contrary to principle
that Parliaments elected merely for the ordinary conduct

! In Natal arrangements were made to hold a referendum under Act
No. 2 of 1909, a promise to this effect having been given on September 3,
1908, by the Prime Minister. The voting on January 10, 1909, was
unexpectedly decisive, viz. 11,121 to 3,701, the number of electors registered
in 1908 being 25,463. Only one vote was allowed to each elector, and in
every electoral division of the Colony the majority was decisive. Only
a simple majority was required, following the precedent of the New South
Wales enabling Act No. 2 of 1899; see Parl. Pap., Cd. 5099. Cf. the
criticisms in The Empire Review, xviii. 114 seq., where it was pointed out
that the Senate would represent the existing Colonial Governments and
could not be changed for ten years, while the nominee Senators would
-epresent the first Government for ten vears also.