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Glossary

The British Empire: The name loosely given to the whole aggregate of territory, the inhabitants of which, under various forms of government, ultimately look to the British Crown as the supreme head. The term ‘empire’ is in this connection used rather for convenience than in any sense equivalent to that of the older or despotic empires of history. Population of the British Empire at it's height was over 500 million and covered an area in excess of 12 million square miles.

Colony: A term most commonly used to denote a settlement of the subjects of a sovereign state in lands beyond its boundaries, owning no allegiance to any foreign power, and retaining a greater or lesser degree of dependence on the mother country.

Dependency: By definition a territory subject to a state on which it does not border. A territory that is dependent for support and help.

Dominion: A name applied to self-governing divisions of the British Empire owing allegiance to the crown.

Protectorate: In international law, a common term to describe the relation between two states, one of which exercises control, great or small, direct or indirect, over the other.

Sphere of Influence: An area under it's own rule that only has dealings with the government of one other country.

'The British Empire is a Limited Monarchy with a Sovereign to whom Great Britain and all the associated dependencies, Dominions, and Colonies are a common allegiance. The Parliament at Westminster is the highest legislative authority of the Empire, but has, with the consent of the Sovereign, delegated the power of legislation to certain other Parliaments, in connection with which the functions of the Sovereign are exercised by governor generals and governors appointed to represent him. India cannot be classed with any other part of the Empire.'

1. The British Colonies and Protectorates may be classified as follows:-

I. Colonies possessing responsible government, now known as the self-governing Dominions, in which the Crown has only reserved the power of disallowing legislation and the Secretary of State for the Colonies has no control over any public officer except the Governor. In all matters affecting the internal affairs of such a Colony the Governor acts on the advice of Ministers who are responsible to the Legislature.
These Colonies fall constitutionally into two groups:-
 

(i) Dominion of Canada. Union of South Africa. Dominion of New Zealand. Newfoundland.
(ii) The Australian Commonwealth and its six component states:- New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania. ( The Northern Territory and Papua are administered by the Commonwealth.)

(i) Colonies possessing an elected House of Assembly and a nominated Legislative Council :-
Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda.
(ii) Colonies possessing a partly elected Legislative Council, the constitution of which does not provide for an official majority :-
British Guiana, The island of Cyprus has a similar constitution.
(iii) Colonies possessing a partly elected Legislative Council, the constitution of which provides for an official majority :-
Fiji, Leeward Islands, Mauritius, Jamaica, Malta.
(iv) Colonies and Protectorates possessing a Legislative Council nominated by the Crown :-
British Honduras, Ceylon, East Africa Protectorate, Falkland Islands, Gambia, Gold Coast, Grenada,
Hong Kong, Nyasaland Protectorate, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Southern Nigeria,
Straits Settlements, Trinidad.

In all the above Councils, except British Honduras, the constitution provides for an official majority.

The Legislative Councils of Gambia, Sierra Leone and Southern Nigeria have power to legislate for the following Protectorates respectively :-

Gambia Protectorate, Sierra Leone Protectorate, Southern Nigeria Protectorate.

(v) Colonies and Protectorates without a Legislative Council :-

Ashanti, Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate, Gibraltar, Northern Nigeria, Northern Territories of the Gold Coast, St. Helena, Somaliland, Swaziland, Uganda, Weihaiwei, Islands included under the Western Pacific High Commission.

In all these Colonies and Protectorates, except the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Honduras and the Leeward Islands, the Crown has the power of legislating by Order in Council.

The territories in South Africa which are under control of the British South Africa Company are not included in the above classification.

Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief
Governor and Commander-in-Chief, or
Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief.

In the case of Protectorates, the officer appointed by the Crown to administer the Government is styled either :-

Governor and Commander-in-Chief,
High-Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief,
High-Commissioner,
Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief, or
Commissioner.

The term "the Governor" includes all officers appointed to administer Governments, however styled.

Commonwealth of Nations: An association of nations. It consists of the United Kingdom and former members of the British Empire, (except in the case of Mozambique). All of the members are independent in every aspect of domestic and external affairs but who, for historical reasons, accept the British monarch as the symbol of the free association of its members and as such the head of the Commonwealth.
The term ‘British Commonwealth’ began to be used after WWI when the military help given by the dominions and colonies to Britain had enhanced their status. Their independence, apart from the formal link of allegiance to the crown, was asserted at the Imperial Conference of 1926, and given legal authority by the Statute of Westminster in1931. The power of independent decision by Commonwealth countries was evident in 1939 when they decided whether or not they wished to support Britain in World War II. After World War II the concept became obsolete, as the British Commonwealth began to include countries that became republics and did not owe allegiance to the crown, though accepting the monarch as symbolic head of the Commonwealth. Hence its composition had changed and the name Commonwealth of Nations was adopted after the Consequential Provisions Act of 1949, in which republics were allowed to remain members.

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