A dominion, often Dominion,^[1] is a term that particularly referred to an autonomous polity under sovereign authority within the British Empire and British Commonwealth from the late 19th century. Autonomy ( Greek: Auto- Nomos - nomos meaning "law" one who gives oneself his/her own Law) is the right to Self-government Polity ( Greek: Πολιτεία or Πολίτευμα transliterated as Politeía or Políteuma) was originally a term used in Ancient Greece Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar ^[2] These states included (at varying times) Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Newfoundland may refer to Newfoundland and Labrador, a Canadian province (known simply as Newfoundland from 1949 to 2001 Eastern part of Canada The Capital of Newfoundland The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by After 1948, the term was used to note independent nations that retained the British monarch as head of state. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state These nations included India, Pakistan, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and Kenya. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The history of Kenya as a land occupied by sentient humans extends for millions of years even though the history of Kenya as an independent state is relatively short

Use of the word dominion, as a general term for any British overseas territory, dates back to the 17th century. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom Dominion, as an official title, was first conferred on Virginia, circa 1660 and the Dominion of New England in 1686. The Colony of Virginia (also known frequently as the Virginia Colony and occasionally as the Dominion and Colony of Virginia) was the English colony The Dominion of New England in America (1686-1689 was a short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America These dominions never had semi-autonomous or self-governing status. Canada received the title upon Confederation in 1867 of several British colonies in North America. Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary The title would continue to be used to refer to possessions of the British monarch until well into the 20th century. ^[3] The Imperial Conference of 1907 was the first time the self-governing colonies of Canada and Australia would be referred to together as "Dominions". Imperial Conferences ( Colonial Conferences before 1911 were gatherings of British Empire government leaders in London in 1887, 1897 ^[4] Two other self-governing colonies, New Zealand and Newfoundland, were also granted the title that year. A self-governing colony is a Colony with an elected Legislature, in which Politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the They were followed by South Africa (1910) and the Irish Free State (1922).

Dominion status was officially defined in the Balfour Declaration (1926) and in the Statute of Westminster (1931), which recognized these territories as "autonomous Communities within the British Empire," establishing these states as equals to the United Kingdom, making them essentially independent members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Balfour Declaration of 1926, named after the British Lord President of the Council Arthur Balfour, Earl of Balfour was the name given to a report resulting The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo Following the Second World War, the decline of British colonialism led to the term Dominions falling increasingly out of use. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Contents 1 Historical development 1.1 Overseas dominions 1.2 Responsible Government 1.3 Canada and Confederation 1.4 The Imperial Conference of 1907 1.5 The First World War and the Treaty of Versailles 1.6 The Irish Free State 1.7 The Balfour Declaration and the Statute of Westminster 2 The Dominions 2.1 Australia 2.2 Canada 2.3 India and Pakistan 2.4 Irish Free State/Ireland 2.5 Newfoundland and Labrador 2.6 New Zealand 2.7 Union of South Africa 3 Foreign relations 4 From Dominions to Commonwealth realms 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References

Historical development

Overseas dominions

Dominions originally referred to any overseas possession of the British Empire. Oliver Cromwell's full title in the 1650s was "Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging". Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known In 1660, King Charles II gave the Colony of Virginia the title "Dominion" in gratitude for Virginia's loyalty to the Crown during the English Civil War; the state still retains "Old Dominion" as its nickname. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Colony of Virginia (also known frequently as the Virginia Colony and occasionally as the Dominion and Colony of Virginia) was the English colony The name also occurred in the short-lived Dominion of New England (1686-1689). The Dominion of New England in America (1686-1689 was a short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America In all of these cases, dominion implied being a subject of the Empire.

Responsible Government

The next application of dominion was to Canada in 1867. All the colonies of British North America had attained limited self-governance between 1848 and 1855, except the colony of Vancouver Island. British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary A self-governing colony is a Colony with an elected Legislature, in which Politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the See main article Vancouver Island Vancouver Island (officially known as the Island of Vancouver and its Dependencies was a Crown colony of British Nova Scotia was the first colony to achieve responsible government in January–February 1848, through the efforts of Joseph Howe, and by the Province of Canada later that year. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Responsible government is a conception of a System of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster Joseph Howe, PC ( December 13, 1804 – June 1, 1873) was a Nova Scotia journalist politician and public servant The Province of Canada or the United Province of Canada was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867 They were followed by Prince Edward Island in 1851, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland in 1855 under Philip Francis Little. Prince Edward Island (ˌprɪns ˌɛdwɚd ˈaɪlɨnd ( PEI or P New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation Philip Francis Little

Australia and New Zealand were designated dominions in 1907. The Australian Constitutions Act 1850^[5] established the machinery for the four then existing Australian colonies (namely New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia) to establish Parliaments and responsible government once certain conditions had been met; it also provided for the separation of Victoria from New South Wales and its establishment as a separate colony (which occurred in 1851) with similar capacity to attain self-government. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New South Wales^[6], Victoria^[7], South Australia^[8], and Tasmania^[9], along with New Zealand, attained responsible government soon after in 1856; self-government for Western Australia was delayed until 1891, mainly because of continuing financial dependence on Britain^[10]. South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Queensland was separated from New South Wales and established as a separate colony in 1859^[11]. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent This left a large piece of territory in northern Australia still technically part of NSW though physically separated from it. This territory was transferred in part to Queensland and the remainder to South Australia in 1863^[12] -- the South Australian section being eventually transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia as the federal Northern Territory in 1911^[13].

South Africa became a dominion in 1910. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Its colonies had become self-governing earlier, with the Cape Colony being the first in 1872; this was followed by Natal (1893), Transvaal (1906), and the Orange River Colony (1907). The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 with the founding of Cape Town. For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after this nation first occupied (1900 and then annexed (1902 the independent Orange Free State in the

Canada and Confederation

The 20th century usage of the term "Dominion" can be traced to 1867 with the confederation of the British North American colonies of Canada (subsequently the provinces of Ontario and Quebec), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia into "One Dominion under the Name of Canada", the first federation in the British Empire. Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary The Province of Canada or the United Province of Canada was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867 Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's The new Canadian government subsequently used "Dominion of Canada" to designate the new, larger colony. Neither Confederation nor the adoption of the Dominion title, however, granted extra autonomy or new powers to the new federal level of government. ^[14][15]. Senator Eugene Forsey documents that the powers acquired since the 1840s that established the system of Responsible Government would simply be transferred to the new Dominion government:

"By the time of Confederation in 1867, this system had been operating in most of what is now central and eastern Canada for almost 20 years. Eugene Alfred Forsey PC, CC, FRSC ( May 29, 1904 &ndash February 20, 1991) served in the Canadian Senate Responsible government is a conception of a System of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster The Fathers of Confederation simply continued the system they knew, the system that was already working, and working well. "^[15]

Constitutional scholar Andrew Heard clearly establishes that Confederation in no way changed Canada's colonial status to anything approaching its later dominion status.

At its inception in 1867, Canada's colonial status was marked by political and legal subjugation to British Imperial supremacy in all aspects of government - legislative, judicial, and executive. The Imperial Parliament at Westminster could legislate on any matter to do with Canada and could override any local legislation, the final court of appeal for Canadian litigation lay with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, the Governor General had a substantive role as a representative of the British government, and ultimate executive power was vested in the British Monarch - who was advised only by British Ministers in its exercise. Canada's independence came about as each of these sub-ordinations was eventually removed^[14].

Heard goes on to document the sizable body of legislation passed by the British Parliament in the latter part of the 19th century that would uphold and expand its Imperial supremacy to constrain its colonies, including the new Dominion government.

When the Dominion of Canada was created in 1867 it was granted powers of self-government to deal with all internal matters, but Britain still retained overall legislative supremacy. This imperial supremacy could be exercised through several statutory measures. In the first place, the Constitution Act of 1867 provides in s. 55 that the Governor General may reserve any legislation passed by the two Houses of Parliament for "the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure", which is determined according to s. 57 by the (British) Queen in Council. Secondly, s. 56 provides that the Governor General must forward to "one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretary's of State" in London a copy of any federal legislation that has been assented to; within two years after the receipt of this copy, the (British) Queen in Council can disallow an Act. Thirdly, four pieces of Imperial legislation constrained the Canadian legislatures. The Colonial Laws Validity Act of 1865 provided that no colonial law could validly conflict with, amend or repeal Imperial legislation which explicitly or by necessary implication applied directly to that colony; the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894 as well as the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890 required reservation of Dominion legislation on those topics for approval by the British Government; and, the Colonial Stock Act of 1900 provided for the dis-allowance of Dominion legislation which the British government felt would harm British stockholders of Dominion trustee securities. Most importantly, however, the British Parliament could exercise the legal right of supremacy it possessed at common law to pass any legislation on any matter affecting the colonies. ^[14]

The rise to dominion status and then full independence for Canada and other colonies would not occur by the granting of titles or similar recognition by the British Parliament, but by initiatives taken by colonial governments to assert their independence and establish legal constitutional precedents.

What is remarkable about this whole process is that it was achieved with a minimum of legislative amendments. Much of Canada's independence arose from the development of new political arrangements, many of which have been absorbed into judicial decisions interpreting the constitution - with or without explicit recognition. Canada's passage from being an integral part of the British Empire to being an independent member of the Commonwealth richly illustrates the way in which fundamental constitutional rules have evolved through the interaction of constitutional convention, international law, and municipal statute and case law. ^[14]

The Imperial Conference of 1907

Issues of colonial self-government spilled into foreign affairs with the Boer War (1899-1902). See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: The self-governing colonies contributed significantly to British efforts to stem the insurrection, but assured that they set the conditions for participation in these wars. Colonial governments repeatedly acted to assure that they determined the extent of their peoples' participation in imperial wars in the military build-up to the First World War. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

The assertiveness of the self-governing colonies was recognised in the Imperial Conference of 1907, which implicitly introduced the idea of the Dominion as a self-governing colony by referring to Canada and Australia as Dominions. Imperial Conferences ( Colonial Conferences before 1911 were gatherings of British Empire government leaders in London in 1887, 1897 It also retired the name "Colonial Conference" and mandated that meetings take place regularly to consult Dominions in the running the foreign affairs of the empire.

The Colony of New Zealand, which chose not to take part in Australian federation, quickly became the Dominion of New Zealand on September 26, 1907; Newfoundland became a Dominion on the same day. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Dominion of New Zealand is the former name of the Realm of New Zealand. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation The newly-created Union of South Africa would also be referred to as a Dominion in 1910. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

The First World War and the Treaty of Versailles

The initiatives and contributions of British colonies to the British war effort in the First World War was recognized by Britain with the creation of the Imperial War Cabinet in 1917, which would give them a say in the running of the war. Dominion "status" as self-governing states, despite symbolic titles granted various British colonies, would wait until 1919 when the "self-governing" Dominions signed the Treaty of Versailles independently of the British government and became distinct members of the League of Nations. This ended the purely colonial status of the dominions that had existed up until this point.

"The First World War ended the purely colonial period in the history of the Dominions. Their military contribution to the Allied war effort gave them claim to equal recognition with other small states and a voice in the formation of policy. This claim was recognized within the Empire by the creation of the Imperial War Cabinet in 1917, and within the community of nations by Dominion signatures to the Treaty of Versailles and by separate Dominion representation in the League of Nations. In this way the "self-governing Dominions", as they were called, emerged as junior members of the international community. Their status defied exact analysis by both international and constitutional lawyers, but it was clear that they were no longer to be regarded simply as colonies of Britain. " ^[16]

The Irish Free State

Irish Free State in 1922, after the bitter Anglo-Irish War. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by The Irish War of Independence (or Tan War, or Anglo-Irish War, Irish: Cogadh na Saoirse) from January 1919 to July 1921 was a guerrilla All retained the same monarch as head of state, represented locally by a governor-general appointed in consultation with the Dominion government. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription The Irish Free State, led by W. T. Cosgrave was the first Dominion to appoint a non-British, non-aristocratic Governor-General, when Timothy Michael Healy took the position in 1922. William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W Timothy Michael Healy, KC (17 May 1855 &ndash 26 March 1931 was an Irish nationalist politician journalist author barrister and one of the most Dominion status was never popular in the Irish Free State/Ireland, where people saw it as a face-saving measure for a British government unable to countenance a republic in what had previously been the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 Successive Irish governments undermined the constitutional links with Britain, until they were severed completely in 1949. In 1930, the Australian Prime Minister, James Scullin, reinforced the right of the overseas Dominions to appoint native-born governors-general, when he advised King George V to appoint Sir Isaac Isaacs as his representative in Australia, against the wishes of the opposition and officials in London. James Henry Scullin (18 September 1876 &ndash 28 January 1953 Australian Labor Politician and ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs GCB GCMG ( 6 August 1855 &ndash 11 February 1948) Australian judge and politician

The Balfour Declaration and the Statute of Westminster

The Balfour Declaration of 1926, and the subsequent Statute of Westminster, 1931, ended Britain's ability to pass or affect laws outside of its own jurisdiction. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo Significantly, it was Britain which initiated the change to complete independence for the Dominions. World War I had left Britain saddled with enormous debts and the Great Depression had further reduced Britain's ability to pay for the defence of its empire. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All In spite of popular opinions of empires, the larger Dominions were reluctant to leave the protection of the then-superpower. For example, many Canadians felt that being part of the British Empire was the only thing that had prevented them from being absorbed into the United States.

Until 1931, Newfoundland was referred to as a colony of the United Kingdom, as for example, in the 1927 reference to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to delineate the Quebec-Labrador boundary. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 Full autonomy was granted by the United Kingdom parliament with the Statute of Westminster in December 1931. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo However, the government of Newfoundland "requested the United Kingdom not to have sections 2 to 6[—]confirming Dominion status[—]apply automatically to it[,] until the Newfoundland Legislature first approved the Statute, approval which the Legislature subsequently never gave. " In any event, Newfoundland's letters patent of 1934 suspended self-government and instituted a "Commission of Government," which continued until Newfoundland became a province of Canada in 1949. Letters patent are a type of Legal instrument in the form of an Open letter issued by a Monarch or Government, granting an office right The Commission of Government was a non-elected body that governed Newfoundland from 1934 to 1949 (when the former Dominion became the tenth province of The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. It is the view of some constitutional lawyers that—although Newfoundland chose not to exercise all of the functions of a Dominion like Canada—its status as a Dominion was "suspended" in 1934, rather than "revoked" or "abolished".

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland and South Africa (prior to becoming a republic and leaving the Commonwealth in 1961), with their large populations of European descent, were sometimes collectively referred to as the "White Dominions. " Today Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are sometimes referred to collectively as the "White Commonwealth. Old Commonwealth and White Commonwealth are informal terms used to describe the predominantly white members of the Commonwealth of Nations located "

The United Kingdom and its component parts never aspired to the title of "Dominion," remaining anomalies within the network of free and independent equal members of the empire and Commonwealth. However the idea has on occasions been floated by some in Northern Ireland as an alternative to a United Ireland if they felt uncomfortable within the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of A United Ireland is the term used to refer to a sovereign state encompassing the whole of the island of Ireland.

The Dominions

Australia

Four colonies of Australia had enjoyed responsible government since 1856: New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. ^[17] Queensland had responsible government soon after its founding in 1859 ^[18] but, because of ongoing financial dependence on Britain, Western Australia became the last Australian colony to attain self-government in 1890 ^[19] . During the 1890s, the colonies voted to unite and in 1901 they were federated under the British Crown as the Commonwealth of Australia by the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Constitution of Australia is the law under which the Australian Commonwealth Government operates The Constitution of Australia had been drafted in Australia and approved by popular consent. The Constitution of Australia is the law under which the Australian Commonwealth Government operates Thus Australia is one of the few countries established by a popular vote. ^[20] Under the Balfour Declaration, the federal government was regarded as coequal with (and not subordinate to) the British and other Dominion governments, and this was given formal legal recognition in 1942 (when the Statute of Westminster was retroactively adopted to the commencement of the Second World War 1939). The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo The governments of the states (called colonies before 1901) remained under the Commonwealth but retained vestigial links to the British Parliament until the passage of the Australia Act 1986. The Australia Act 1986 is the name given to a pair of two separate but related pieces of legislation one an Act of the Parliament of Australia (No ^[21]

Canada

See also: Name of Canada

Dominion is the legal title conferred on Canada in the Constitution of Canada, namely the Constitution Act, 1867 (British North America Acts), and describes the resulting political union. The name of Canada has been in use since the earliest European settlement in Canada, with the Name originating from a First Nations word Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's Constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions The Constitution Act 1867 (formerly called the British North America Act 1867, and still known informally as the BNA Act) constitutes a major part of The British North America Acts 1867&ndash1975 are the original names of a series of Acts at the core of the Constitution of Canada. Specifically, the preamble of the BNA Act indicates:

Whereas the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick have expressed their Desire to be federally united into One Dominion under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with a Constitution similar in Principle to that of the United Kingdom . . .

and, furthermore, sections 3 and 4 indicate that the provinces:

. . . shall form and be One Dominion under the Name of Canada; and on and after that Day those Three Provinces shall form and be One Dominion under that Name accordingly.

Unless it is otherwise expressed or implied, the Name Canada shall be taken to mean Canada as constituted under this Act.

Usage of the term Dominion of Canada was sanctioned as the country's formal political name, and some still read the BNA Act passage as specifying this phrase – rather than Canada alone – as the name. The term Dominion of Canada does not appear in the 1867 act nor in the Constitution Act, 1982 but does appear in the Constitution Act, 1871, other contemporaneous texts, and subsequent bills. The Constitution Act 1982 (Schedule B of the Canada Act 1982 (UK is a part of the Constitution of Canada. The following is a list of pre-1982 English British and Canadian legislation that forms part of the Constitution of Canada. References to the Dominion of Canada in later acts, such as the Statute of Westminster, do not clarify the point because all nouns were formally capitalised in British legislative style. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo Capitalization (or capitalisation &mdash see spelling differences) is writing a word with its first letter as a Majuscule (upper case letter Indeed, in the original text of the BNA Act, "One" and "Name" were also capitalised.

Starting in the 1950s, the federal government began to phase out the use of Dominion, which had been used largely as a synonym of "federal" or "national" such as "Dominion building" for a post office, "Dominion-provincial relations", and so on. The last major change was renaming the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day in 1982. Dominion Day is or was a commemoration day of the granting of national status in various Commonwealth countries Canada Day (Fête du Canada formerly Dominion Day, is Canada 's national day, a federal statutory holiday, celebrating the anniversary of the Official bilingualism laws also contributed to the disuse of dominion, as it has no acceptable equivalent in French. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people

While the term may be found in older official documents, and the Dominion Carillonneur still tolls at Parliament Hill, it is rarely used any more to distinguish the federal government from the provinces or (historically) Canada before and after 1867. Parliament Hill (colloquially The Hill, French Colline du Parlement) is a scenic location on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Nonetheless, the federal government continues to produce publications and educational materials that specify the currency of these official titles. ^[22][23][24]

Defenders of the title Dominion — including monarchists who see signs of creeping republicanism in Canada — take comfort in the fact that the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982 does not mention and therefore does not remove the title, and that a constitutional amendment would be required to change it. Canadian monarchism is the advocacy of the retention of Canada's monarchy, generally in opposition to Canadian republicanism, and is driven by various factors including Debate on the Monarchy of Canada has been taking place since before Confederation in 1867 though it has rarely been of significance since the Rebellions of 1837 The Constitution Act 1982 (Schedule B of the Canada Act 1982 (UK is a part of the Constitution of Canada. ^[25]

India and Pakistan

India acquired responsible government in 1909, though the first Parliament did not meet until 1919. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ^[26] India and Pakistan separated as independent dominions in 1947. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and India became a republic in 1950 ^[27] and Pakistan adopted a republican form of government in 1956. ^[28]

Irish Free State/Ireland

The Irish Free State was a British Dominion between 1922 and 1937. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by In the 1930s the Irish stopped participating at Commonwealth conferences and events. In 1937 the Irish people established a new state with name Ireland under a new constitution. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. However, the United Kingdom and other members of the Commonwealth continued to regard Ireland as being a dominion owing to the unusual role accorded to the British Monarch under the Irish External Relations Act. The Executive Authority (External Relations Act 1936 was an enactment of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament in 1936. Ultimately, however, Ireland's Oireachtas passed the Republic of Ireland Act which came into force in 1949 and unequivocally ended Ireland's links with the British Monarch and the Commonwealth. The Oireachtas (ɛrʲaxt̪ˠasˠ is the "national parliament" or Legislature of Ireland, sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann. The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 is an Act of the Oireachtas whose primary provisions were to declare that the state Ireland, is a Republic and that the President

Upon the establishment of the Irish Free State on 6 December 1922, Northern Ireland provisionally became an autonomous part of the Irish Free State, the new Dominion. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by However, as was widely expected at the time, the Parliament of Northern Ireland chose, under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, to opt out of the Irish Free State and back into the United Kingdom the following day. The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule Legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[29]

Newfoundland and Labrador

The colony of Newfoundland enjoyed responsible government from 1855-1934. Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation ^[30] It was among the colonies to be declared dominions in 1907. Following the recommendations of a Royal Commission, parliamentary government was suspended in 1934. ^[31] In 1948 Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada and the legislature was restored. Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation ^[32]

New Zealand

The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 gave the colony of New Zealand its own Parliament (General Assembly) and home rule in 1852. The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 (15 & 16 Vict c 72 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and was the second enactment to grant the colony of New New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island ^[33] In 1907 New Zealand was proclaimed the Dominion of New Zealand. The Dominion of New Zealand is the former name of the Realm of New Zealand. ^[34] It adopted the Statute of Westminster in 1947. The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 was a constitutional Act of the New Zealand Parliament that formally accepted the full external autonomy offered by the British Parliament ^[35] The Constitution Act 1986 repealed the Constitution Act of 1852 and accorded full legal independence from the United Kingdom. The Constitution Act 1986 is the principal formal statement of New Zealand's Constitution. ^[36]

Union of South Africa

South Africa was formed from the 1910 union of the self-governing colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State (the last two were former Boer republics ). The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک For the Russian theme park see Transvaal Park. The Transvaal (Afrikaans lit The Republic of the Orange Free State (Oranje-Vrystaat Dutch: Oranje-Vrijstaat) was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa Boer (ˈbuːr in Dutch ˈbʊɚ/ /boʊɚ or /ˈbɔr/ in English is the Dutch word for Farmer which came to denote the descendants of the proto Afrikaans ^[37] The South Africa Act 1909 gave the Union a Parliament consisting of a Senate and a House of Assembly. The provinces had their own legislatures. In 1961 the Union of South Africa left the Commonwealth and adopted a new constitution. } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa. ^[38]

Foreign relations

Initially, the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom conducted the foreign relations of the Dominions. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A Dominions section was created within the Colonial Office for this purpose in 1907. Canada set up its own Department of External Affairs in June 1909, but diplomatic relations with other governments continued to operate through the governors-general, Dominion High Commissioners in London (first appointed by Canada in 1880; Australia followed only in 1910) and British legations abroad. Britain deemed her declaration of war against Germany in August 1914 to extend without the need for consultation to all territories of the Empire, occasioning some displeasure in Canadian official circles and contributing to a brief anti-British insurrection by Afrikaner militants in South Africa later that year. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The term Afrikaner people refers to white Afrikaans -speaking people who have been established in Southern Africa since the 17th century and are mainly of northwestern A Canadian War Mission in Washington, D.C., dealt with supply matters from February 1918 to March 1921. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D

Although the Dominions had had no formal voice in declaring war, each became a separate signatory of the June 1919 peace Treaty of Versailles, which had been negotiated by a British-led united Empire delegation. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. In September 1922, Dominion reluctance to support British military action against Turkey influenced Britain's decision to seek a compromise settlement. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Diplomatic autonomy soon followed, with the U. S. -Canadian Halibut Fisheries Agreement (March 1923) marking the first international treaty negotiated and concluded entirely independently by a Dominion. The Dominions Section of the Colonial Office was upgraded in June 1926 to a separate Dominions Office. The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British Colonies. However, initially the same person was appointed as the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British Colonies.

The principle of Dominion equality with Britain and independence in foreign relations was formally recognised by the Balfour Declaration adopted at the Imperial Conference of November 1926. The Balfour Declaration of 1926, named after the British Lord President of the Council Arthur Balfour, Earl of Balfour was the name given to a report resulting Imperial Conferences ( Colonial Conferences before 1911 were gatherings of British Empire government leaders in London in 1887, 1897 Canada's first permanent diplomatic mission to a foreign country opened in Washington, DC in 1927. In 1928, Canada obtained the appointment of a British high commissioner in Ottawa, separating the administrative and diplomatic functions of the governor-general and ending the latter's anomalous role as the representative of the British government in relations between the two countries. High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking special executive positions held by a commission of appointment The Dominions Office was given a separate secretary of state in June 1930, though this was entirely for domestic political reasons given the need to relieve the burden on one ill minister whilst moving another away from unemployment policy. The Balfour Declaration was enshrined in the Statute of Westminster 1931 when it was adopted by the British Parliament and subsequently ratified by the Dominion legislatures. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo

Britain's declaration of hostilities against Germany on September 3, 1939 tested the issue. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Most took the view that the declaration did not commit the Dominions. Ireland chose to remain neutral. At the other extreme, the conservative Australian government of the day, led by Robert Menzies, took the view that, since Australia had not adopted the Statute of Westminster, it was legally bound by the UK declaration of war—which had also been the view at the outbreak of World War I — although this was contentious within Australia. Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, QC (20 December 1894 - 15 May 1978 Australian politician was the twelfth person to serve Between these two extremes, New Zealand declared that as Britain was or would be at war, so it was too. This was, however, a matter of political choice rather than legal necessity. Canada issued its own declaration of war after a recall of Parliament, as did South Africa after a delay of several days (South Africa - September 6, Canada - September 10). Ireland, which had negotiated the removal of British forces from its territory the year before, chose to remain neutral throughout the war. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. There were soon signs of growing independence from the other Dominions: Australia opened a diplomatic mission in the US in 1940, as did New Zealand in 1941, and Canada's mission in Washington gained embassy status in 1943.

From Dominions to Commonwealth realms

Initially, the Dominions conducted their own trade policy, some limited foreign relations and had autonomous armed forces, although the British government claimed and exercised the exclusive power to declare wars. For the military meaning see Armed forces. For the Soviet sports society see Armed Forces (sports society Armed Forces However, after the passage of the Statute of Westminster the language of dependency on the Crown of the United Kingdom ceased, where the Crown itself was no longer referred to as the Crown of any place in particular but simply as "the Crown. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo " Arthur Berriedale Keith, in Speeches and Documents on the British Dominions 1918-1931, stated that "the Dominions are sovereign international States in the sense that the King in respect of each of His Dominions (Newfoundland excepted) is such a State in the eyes of international law. " After then, those countries that were previously referred to as "Dominions" became independent realms where the sovereign reigns no longer as the British monarch, but as monarch of each nation in its own right, and are considered equal to the UK and one another.

World War II, which fatally undermined Britain's already weakened commercial and financial leadership, further loosened the political ties between Britain and the Dominions. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Australian Prime Minister John Curtin's unprecedented action (February 1942) in successfully countermanding an order from Churchill that Australian troops be diverted to defend British-held Burma (the 7th Division was then en route from the Middle East to Australia to defend against an expected Japanese invasion) demonstrated that dominion governments might no longer subordinate their own national interests to British strategic perspectives. John Joseph Curtin (8 January 1885 &ndash 5 July 1945 Australian politician and 14th Prime Minister of Australia, led Australia when the Australian mainland came under direct Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. To ensure that Australia had full legal power to act independently, particularly in relation to foreign affairs, defence industry and military operations, and to validate its past independent action in these areas, Australia formally adopted the Statute of Westminster in October 1942^[39] and backdated the adoption to the start of the war in September 1939.

The Dominions Office merged with the India Office as the Commonwealth Relations Office upon the independence of India and Pakistan in August 1947. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The last country to be officially made a Dominion was Ceylon in 1948. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The term "Dominion" fell out of general use thereafter. Ireland ceased to be a member of the Commonwealth on April 1, 1949, following proclamation of the Republic of Ireland Act. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 is an Act of the Oireachtas whose primary provisions were to declare that the state Ireland, is a Republic and that the President This formally signaled the end of the former dependencies' common constitutional connection to the British crown. India also adopted a republican constitution in January 1950. Unlike many dependencies which became republics, Ireland never re-joined the Commonwealth and agreed to accept the British Monarch as head of that association of independent states.

The independence of the separate realms was emphasised after the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, when she was proclaimed not just as Queen of the UK, but also Queen of Canada, Queen of Australia, Queen of New Zealand, and of all her other "realms and territories" etc. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy TalkCommonewalth realm.--> New Zealand This also reflected the change from Dominion to realm; in the proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II's new titles in 1953, the phrase "of her other Realms and Territories," replaced "Dominion" with another mediaeval French word with the same connotation, "realm" (from royaume). For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Thus, recently, when referring to one of those sixteen countries within the Commonwealth of Nations that share the same monarch, the term Commonwealth realm has come into common usage instead of Dominion to differentiate the Commonwealth nations that continue to share the monarch as head of state (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, etc. A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state ) from those which do not (India, Pakistan, South Africa, etc. ). The term "Dominion" is still to be found in the Canadian constitution where it appears numerous times; however, it is largely a vestige of the past, as the Canadian government does not actively use it (see Canada section). The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's Constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions The term "realm" does not appear in the Canadian constitution. Present-day general usage prefers the term realm because it includes the United Kingdom as well, emphasising equality, and no one nation being subordinate to any other. Dominion, however, as a title, technically remains a term that can be used in reference those self-governing countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, other than the United Kingdom itself, that are in a personal union relationship with the UK. A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct

The generic language of dominion, however, did not cease in relation to the Sovereign. It was, and is, used to describe those territories in which the Monarch exercises her sovereignty, the phrase Her Majesty's dominions being a legal and constitutional term used to refer to all the realms and territories of the Sovereign, whether independent or not. Thus, for example, the British Ireland Act, 1949 recognised that the Republic of Ireland had "ceased to be part of His Majesty’s dominions. The Ireland Act 1949 is a British Act of Parliament which was intended to deal with the consequences of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 as passed " When dependent territories which had never been annexed (that is, were not colonies of the Crown), but were protectorates or trust territories (of the United Nations) were granted independence, the United Kingdom act granting independence always declared that such and such a territory "shall form part of Her Majesty’s dominions"; become part of the territory in which the Queen exercises sovereignty, not merely suzerainty.

Many of the distinctive characteristics which once pertained only to Dominions are now shared by other states in the Commonwealth, whether they are republics, independent realms, self-governing colonies or Crown colonies. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Even in a historical sense the differences between self-governing colonies and Dominions have often been formal rather than substantial.

See also

• Name of Canada
• Commonwealth realm
• Crown Colony
• Self-governing colony

Notes

References

• Choudry, Sujit. 2001(?). "Constitution Acts" (based on looseleaf by Hogg, Peter W.). Peter Wardell Hogg, CC, QC, FRSC (born 1939 is a Canadian lawyer author and legal scholar Constitutional Keywords. University of Alberta, Centre for Constitutional Studies: Edmonton.
• Holland, R. F. , Britain and the Commonwealth Alliance 1918-1939, MacMillan, 1981
• Forsey, Eugene A. 2005. Eugene Alfred Forsey PC, CC, FRSC ( May 29, 1904 &ndash February 20, 1991) served in the Canadian Senate How Canadians Govern Themselves, 6th ed. (ISBN 0-662-39689-8) Canada: Ottawa.
• Hallowell, Gerald, ed. 2004. The Oxford Companion to Canadian History. (ISBN 0-19-541559-0) Oxford University Press: Toronto; p. 183-4.
• Marsh, James H. , ed. 1988. "Dominion" et al. The Canadian Encyclopedia. The Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. Hurtig Publishers: Toronto.
• Martin, Robert. 1993(?). 1993 Eugene Forsey Memorial Lecture: A Lament for British North America. The Machray Review. Prayer Book Society of Canada. —A summative piece about nomenclature and pertinent history with abundant references.
• Rayburn, Alan. 2001. Naming Canada: stories about Canadian place names, 2nd ed. (ISBN 0-8020-8293-9) University of Toronto Press: Toronto.

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic