APPENDIX.

THE COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE.

THE subjoined sketch of the main provisions which might form the constitution and define the powers of the Council of the United States of Europe, is of necessity imperfect, tentative, and open to numberless alterations and additions. It is submitted only as a rough probationary plan, indicating the chief lines on which such a scheme might be built. Before being moulded into its final shape it would have to be impressed and modified by many minds and many interests, so as, in the end, to represent the average conclusions of European statesmen.

CONSTITUTION AND POWERS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE.

1. The Council of the United States of Europe is instituted in accordance with the provisions and stipulations of a treaty entered into on between the following Sovereign States

of Europe, viz.,

2. The said Council shall be composed of the representatives appointed by each of those European States which are, or which may become, parties to the aforesaid treaty, on the basis of one representative for every ten millions of their European population.

Thus the number of representatives in the Council which each State has the right to appoint is :

One for States having a population of more than 1 million up to 10 millions,

Two for States having a population of more than 10 millions up to 20 millions,

Three for States having a population of more than 20 millions up to 30 millions,

and so on in the same proportion. Only the population that is resident within the boundaries of Europe is to be taken into account. (It is calculated that, as Europe is now constituted, the total number of representatives forming the Council would be forty.)

3. No person under the age of 45 is admissible as a representative in the Council.

4. The chairmanship at each sitting of the Council devolves on each member successively, according to the alphabetical rotation of the members' names.

5. The Council has full power to examine into, collect evidence upon, and finally to decide, all disputes and differences which may exist, or arise, between two or more of the States that have become parties to the treaty under which the Council is formed. But their power does not extend to the settlement of disputes and differences between any of the said States parties to the treaty, and other States not parties thereunto.

6. Every decision of the Council, if carried by a majority of two or more, is final; but a decision carried by a majority of only one requires to be confirmed at another sitting of the Council to be held within one week; when, if again carried by a majority of either one or more, it becomes final.

7. The Council has the power to determine and assign the interpretation and true meaning and intent of the treaties subsisting between the various States that have become parties to the treaty under which the Council is formed; which States shall be, throughout these articles, designated as the "Combined States."

8. The Council has the power to appoint secretaries and subcommittees, frame bye-laws, institute commissions of inquiry, and generally to adopt such measures as they may deem most conducive to the performance of the duties and the exercise of the powers entrusted to them.

9. The autonomy and self-government of each of the Combined States remains inviolate, and the Council has no power to interfere in their internal arrangements or policy. It is their

international relations alone that come within the cognisance of the Council.

10. The members of the Council bind themselves implicitly to submit to, and loyally to abide by, the decision of the majority of votes. And the States represented by the minority pledge themselves to co-operate in carrying out such decision as thoroughly and efficiently as though they formed part of the majority.

11. No decision of the Council shall have any force or validity unless at least one-fourth of its members shall have been present at the sitting wherein such decision was arrived at.

12. In the case of any decision of the Council being disobeyed or disregarded, the Combined States agree and bind themselves to unite in enforcing it by such means and in such manner as the Council shall determine.

13. In case of there being an equality of votes on any question submitted for the decision of the Council, the Chairman at that sitting is to have the casting vote.

14. The representative, or representatives, appointed to the Council by each State shall retain his, or their, functions and powers for at least twelve months, unless in case of death. But at the expiration of twelve months (or sooner in case of death), each State may either appoint new, or re-appoint the old, member or members to represent it at the Council.

15. The Council shall be deemed constituted, and its operations shall commence, as soon as, and not before, the assent to the treaty authorising its formation shall have been given by such a number of European States as that their aggregate population shall amount to at least four-sevenths of the total population of Europe.

16. No State that has once become a party to the treaty under which the Council is formed shall be entitled or allowed to withdraw therefrom without the consent of the majority of the Council.

17. Any European State, with the requisite population, that may not have become a party to the treaty constituting the Council at the time of its constitution, may, at any subsequent period, become a party to it, and be represented in the Council, provided it gives its assent and sanction to the decisions at which the Council may meanwhile have arrived, or provided the majority of the Council may agree to waive that condition.

18. If any European State that has become a party to the treaty aforesaid should neglect or refuse to send representatives to the Council, the decisions of the Council shall be as binding on that State as though its representatives were, or had been, present.

19. The Council shall meet not less than twice a year, and for not less than ten days each term. The first meeting shall be held at and, after that, at such place as the Council may appoint. But if the pressure of business or other circumstances render it necessary, the meetings shall be as frequent and prolonged as the Council shall deem fit. Special meetings may be convened by meetings fourteen days' notice must

members, and of such

be sent to every member of Council.

20. The expenses incidental to the meetings of the Council will be defrayed by pro ratâ subventions from each of the combined States, in proportion to the number of representatives which they are entitled to send to the Council.