1956 Commonwealth Constitution Referendum
Good question.
The Ratification of the Commonwealth Constitution was the 4th nationwide referendum in New England, and the most recent one to have taken place. As the British Empire began to transform away from an Empire dominated by Britain to an organisation of (mostly) equal states, it was determined by London that a constitutional document was required to legally chart the structure of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth Parliament, having sat for two sessions already, was grossly uneven in representation. New England had 5 members, Australia 6, Canada 15, the United Kingdom 54, New Zealand 4, while there were no African or Asian countries represented at all, despite the White Rajas of Sarawak petitioning and being granted entrance into the Commonwealth a few years prior.
The 1953 Imperial Conference (the first of Queen Elizabeth II's reign) was also the last. It was here that the Prime Ministers and Premiers of the Imperial realms meet to formally begin deliberations on the drafting of a Constitution. Legal scholars from around the Empire were brought in to assist in its drafting, as well as what specific powers to grant to the Commonwealth Parliament (the name Imperial Parliament rejected in the first round of talks), as well as the power dynamic between each constituent country and the Commonwealth Government. The Constitution included a section on rights, which would be one of the most progressive documents of the era, surpassing that of the United States, where segregation remained legal. At least legally, a citizen of a Commonwealth country in Africa would have the same basic rights and privileges as granted to an Englishmen. In some cases, the ordeal dragged on, attempting to settle differences between cultures and the British desire to truly craft a document that would maintain British prestige and power, while at the same time reducing their burdens and obligations, and dealing with her former colonies on an equal basis - this part of the Labour platform that swept the government into power after the disastrous Conservative government under Winston Churchill.
After a year and a half of negotiations, the document was unveiled to the public and openly distributed across the Empire. Printing presses in Boston were contracted to produce copies for both domestic and foreign consumption, and it became the most printed document in history for the Boston publishing industry, which was one of the world leaders in volume. It was the first Constitution, to be named as such, promulgated under the auspices of the British government. Inherently progressive and focused on mutual aid and defence (an important factor, given the ongoing war in French Indochina and China), the British Parliament passed it with ease, its passage being given a standing ovation in the House of Commons. Given Royal Assent in late 1955, the document then went to each Commonwealth realm to ratify.
New England was the second to schedule a referendum after Northern Rhodesia, making the two very closely watched countries to see how the debate went and how well it was received. The Yes campaign was strong, it lauded the progress made in the negotiations, and promised to appeal to the country's English heritage (a sore point for Acadians, who felt that the document did not do enough to protect regional languages and cultures). It also was billed as a way to fully obtain independence from the United Kingdom, while all powers had been repatriated to New England from the United Kingdom in the 1930s, the Commonwealth Constitution explicitly stated that this would be the sole remaining legal link between Britain and former colonial holdings, pledging to respect, uphold, and defend the complete and total independence of the Commonwealth realms.
Strong opposition by Acadians caused northern New England to swing against the document, but they were overpowered by the support from the rest of the country. Interestingly, the constitution was rejected by southwestern New England on the basis they felt it had the potential to seriously damage United States-New England relations, and it was this area of the country that was closely connected to the United States.
It took until 1959 with the ratification by Sierra Leone for the Constitution to be considered valid and in force, with New England being the third to approve it.
The Ratification of the Commonwealth Constitution was the 4th nationwide referendum in New England, and the most recent one to have taken place. As the British Empire began to transform away from an Empire dominated by Britain to an organisation of (mostly) equal states, it was determined by London that a constitutional document was required to legally chart the structure of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth Parliament, having sat for two sessions already, was grossly uneven in representation. New England had 5 members, Australia 6, Canada 15, the United Kingdom 54, New Zealand 4, while there were no African or Asian countries represented at all, despite the White Rajas of Sarawak petitioning and being granted entrance into the Commonwealth a few years prior.
The 1953 Imperial Conference (the first of Queen Elizabeth II's reign) was also the last. It was here that the Prime Ministers and Premiers of the Imperial realms meet to formally begin deliberations on the drafting of a Constitution. Legal scholars from around the Empire were brought in to assist in its drafting, as well as what specific powers to grant to the Commonwealth Parliament (the name Imperial Parliament rejected in the first round of talks), as well as the power dynamic between each constituent country and the Commonwealth Government. The Constitution included a section on rights, which would be one of the most progressive documents of the era, surpassing that of the United States, where segregation remained legal. At least legally, a citizen of a Commonwealth country in Africa would have the same basic rights and privileges as granted to an Englishmen. In some cases, the ordeal dragged on, attempting to settle differences between cultures and the British desire to truly craft a document that would maintain British prestige and power, while at the same time reducing their burdens and obligations, and dealing with her former colonies on an equal basis - this part of the Labour platform that swept the government into power after the disastrous Conservative government under Winston Churchill.
After a year and a half of negotiations, the document was unveiled to the public and openly distributed across the Empire. Printing presses in Boston were contracted to produce copies for both domestic and foreign consumption, and it became the most printed document in history for the Boston publishing industry, which was one of the world leaders in volume. It was the first Constitution, to be named as such, promulgated under the auspices of the British government. Inherently progressive and focused on mutual aid and defence (an important factor, given the ongoing war in French Indochina and China), the British Parliament passed it with ease, its passage being given a standing ovation in the House of Commons. Given Royal Assent in late 1955, the document then went to each Commonwealth realm to ratify.
New England was the second to schedule a referendum after Northern Rhodesia, making the two very closely watched countries to see how the debate went and how well it was received. The Yes campaign was strong, it lauded the progress made in the negotiations, and promised to appeal to the country's English heritage (a sore point for Acadians, who felt that the document did not do enough to protect regional languages and cultures). It also was billed as a way to fully obtain independence from the United Kingdom, while all powers had been repatriated to New England from the United Kingdom in the 1930s, the Commonwealth Constitution explicitly stated that this would be the sole remaining legal link between Britain and former colonial holdings, pledging to respect, uphold, and defend the complete and total independence of the Commonwealth realms.
Strong opposition by Acadians caused northern New England to swing against the document, but they were overpowered by the support from the rest of the country. Interestingly, the constitution was rejected by southwestern New England on the basis they felt it had the potential to seriously damage United States-New England relations, and it was this area of the country that was closely connected to the United States.
It took until 1959 with the ratification by Sierra Leone for the Constitution to be considered valid and in force, with New England being the third to approve it.
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