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PAPERS LAID BEFORE THE SUB-COMMITTEE.
Appendix I.
The Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governors-General and Governors.
[(1.) Canada. No. 38.]
(2.) Commonwealth of Australia. No. 25.]
[(3.) New Zealand. No. 17.]
(4.) Union of South Africa. No. 30.]
[(5.) Newfoundland. No. 8.]
[My Lord],
Sirl,
Downing Street, January 20, 1911.
IN my despatches of the [1st, 15th, and 29th December, and the 16th January],* I submitted to [your Excellency] [you] for communication to your Ministers, copies of the Resolutions proposed to be submitted by the Government of [the Commonwealth of Australia] [the Dominion of New Zealand†] and [the Colony of Newfoundland†] at the forthcoming Imperial Conference of 1911. Prints of these resolutions are appended to this despatch. I have received no information as to the proposals of the Dominions of Canada or the Union of South Africa, but in view of the wide scope of the subjects covered by the Resolutions above mentioned, it does not appear probable that anything will be proposed on behalf of those Dominions which will not group itself under one or other of the heads already suggested.
2. As at present advised His Majesty's Government propose to suggest for dis- cussion at the Conference the following subjects :-
The position of British Indians in the Dominions ; Labour Exchanges in relation to the Dominions; Uniform design for stamps;
The arrangements for expulsion of undesirable aliens.
3. In my telegram of the 19th December‡ I made certain observations as to the method in which the suggested subjects might be dealt with at the Conference. It may, however, be useful that, following the precedent set by Lord Elgin in his despatch of the 4th January, 1907,§ I should summarise the subjects brought forward, and group them with a view to a statement of the agenda of the Conference. This must be provisional for the present in order to leave room for the eventuality of additional subjects being proposed by the Dominion of Canada, the Union of South Africa, and by His Majesty's Government themselves.
4. It is proposed that the Conference should open on Monday, the 22nd May, and it will probably be convenient that its proceedings should, if possible, conclude before the date of the Coronation, that is, Thursday, the 22nd June. This will afford a period of four clear weeks for purposes of discussion. In 1907 the proceedings of the Colonial Conference occupied four weeks, i.e., from the 15th April to the 14th May. The Conference then met on fifteen days, and I apprehend that the conditions as regards facilities for meeting will be much the same on the present occasion. It would appear, therefore, that there should be room for not less than fifteen meetings during the period available before the 22nd June. In 1907 there was a separate discussion at the Treasury respecting certain subjects in which their Lordships had a special interest. These subjects were, however, brought up again at the main Conference.
-TLY:
5. The principle laid down by Lord Elgin in his despatch of the 4th January, 1907,§ was to give preference to subjects proposed by the Dominions, and to rank such subjects according to the number of Dominions proposing them, regard, of course, being had to the intrinsic importance of the subjects and to the possibility of arriving at a definite result by discussion. I apprehend that these principles may
* Nos. 39472, 36486. and
↑ No. 38870.
↑ Omitted in despatches to respective Dominions.
§ [Cd. 3387], February 1907.
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