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again be followed with advantage; and accordingly the subjects put forward by the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, and Newfoundland may be taken provisionally as the basis for the agenda.
6. Two Dominions propose what are either the same subject or branches of the same subject, viz. :—
(a.) Merchant Shipping and Navi- f New Zealand (13).
gation Laws.
(b.) All Red Route
(c.) Uniformity of various Laws..
(d.) Imperial Court of Appeal
(e.) State-owned Atlantic Cable ..
(f.) Reciprocal legislation as re- gards Conspiracy and
regards Destitute Persons.
as
Australia (3).
New Zealand (10). Newfoundland. New Zealand (12). Australia (4) and (5). New Zealand (11). Australia (11).
New Zealand (6)] (Also State-owned lino
Australia
Australia (8). New Zealand (12).
The following subjects are proposed by one Dominion :-
New Zealand :-
across Canada.)
Publicity of proceedings except as to confidential matters; Imperial representation of oversea Dominions;
Reconstruction of the Colonial Office;
Interchange of Civil Servants;
Universal penny postage;
Cheapening of cable rates;
Imperial wireless telegraph system;
Double Income Tax and Stamp Duty on Colonial Bonds.
Australia;
Commercial relations generally and in respect of British shipping; Declaration of London,
Emigration;
Currency and coinage ;
Co-operation between the naval and military forces of the Empire and
the status of Dominion navies.
7. In my despatch [(1) No. 17] [(2) No. 14][(3) No. 7] [(4) No. 10] [(5) No. 4} of the 12th January,* I have expressed some doubt whether uniformity in the matter of Patent Law can be usefully discussed on the present occasion; but it will clearly be necessary that there should be some consideration of the question whether further uniformity in legislation can he obtained in the matters dealt with under head (c) above, and whether reciprocity in legislation can be arranged under head (f). The Resolution of the Commonwealth of Australia as to naturalisation leads me to observe that this question of uniformity of law is essentially a technical question, and as such may more properly be remitted to a Committee of the full Conference sitting as a subsidiary Conference. His Majesty's Government have expressed the hope that your Prime Minister may be accompanied by other members of the Ministry; and it is reasonable to anticipate that these Ministers may include among thein those within whose province the question of uniformity of laws in the matters indicated properly falls. There are certain other subjects which also lend themselves to treatment, if necessary, by the method of subsidiary Conferences, for example, the question as to undesirable aliens and the postal subject suggested by His Majesty's Government.
8. There would remain for the consideration of the full Conference the following matters :-
Merchant Shipping and Navigation Laws;
Cheaper cable rates;
All Red Route;
Imperial Court of Appeal,
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