PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TLC.O-885
17 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
31291.
108
No. 18.
The SECRETARY OF STATE to the GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF
AUSTRALIA,
Downing Street.
October 17, 1906.
(General.) MY LORD,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No. 128 of the 12th June last, enquiring whether consideration has been given by the Imperial Government to that part of the Resolution of the Colonial Conference of 1902 respecting the Navigation Laws of the Empire which refers to the limitation of coastwise trade as therein defined to British vessels, and if so, whether any action in that direction is contemplated.
2. In the case of coastwise trade in the narrower sense of trade round the coasts of the United Kingdom, I have to inform you that no action by the Imperial Government has been taken or is proposed. Foreign vessels do not engage in this trade to any appreciable extent, and to debar them by legislative action would involve the denunciation of treaties of commerce and navigation existing with certain countries, and, moreover, might be more than counterbalanced by retaliatory action on the part of countries which at present admit British shipping to their coasting trade.
3. As regards coastwise trade in the wider sense of trade between the United Kingdom and the British Dominions or Colonies themselves, cor- respondence has proceeded since the Colonial Conference of 1902 on the footing that the first thing to be considered was how far there existed in the Colonies a desire for legislation to carry out the object of the Resolution of that Conference.
4. I have to refer you in this connection to the Secretary of State's two despatches of 16th February 1903) and to his despatch of 27th August 1903‡ (which need no longer be regarded as confidential), and to enclose for your information copies of replies to the despatches of 16th February 1903 received from the Governments of New Zealand, the Cape, Natal, Newfound- land, and Canada, together with copy of a despatch to the Governor-General of Canada forwarding copy of the New Zealand Coastwise Trade Act, 1903. Your Ministers will perceive that New Zealand is at present the only colony which has legislated on the lines of the resolution of the last Colonial Conference.
5. No reply has hitherto been received from the Commonwealth Govern- ment to the Secretary of State's despatch, "General No. 1," of 16th February 1903,¶ but, as you are aware, it was proposed to deal with the question of the coasting trade in the Commonwealth Navigation Bill, the consideration of which has been deferred pending the meeting of the Conference on Merchant Shipping legislation, which will take place next March.
6. In the course of correspondence with your Government it appeared that the provisions of the Treaty between the United Kingdom and Greece of 10th November 1886, to which most of the States of Australia had acceded, might be an obstacle in the way of Colonial legislation; but your Ministers will have perceived from my predecessor's circular despatch of 10th October 1905,** that by joint declarations signed at Athens on 10th November 1904 and 4th May 1905, power has been obtained to enable any colony which is a party to the Treaty of 1886 to withdraw from it at any time after giving welve months' notice of its intention to do so.
7. It may be well to observe that the Resolution of the Conference of 1902 also covered the question of the special restrictions such as marking of load lines, deck-loading, &c., which apply to British vessels, and which were held to hamper them in competition with foreign vessels. This question is
No. 7.
• No. 16.
† Nos. 2 and 3.
Nos. 6, 4, 5, 11, aud 14.
1 No. 15.
¶ No. 2.
35130/05; not printed.
109
referred to in the Minute accompanying the enclosed despatch from the Governor-General of Canada, and it is being dealt with in the Merchant Shipping Acts Amendment (No. 2) Bill, 1906, now under consideration of the Imperial Parliament, a copy of which, as amended by the Standing Committee on Trade, is also enclosed for the information of your Ministers.
8. A copy of the present despatch is being forwarded to the Governors of the various Colonies possessing responsible government, as the subject is one which your Government has proposed for discussion at the forthcoming Colonial Conference.
I have, &c.,
ELGIN.
31291.
No. 19.
The SECRETARY OF STATE to the GOVERNOR-GENERAL and GOVERNORS.†
(General.)
MY LORD, SIR, -
WITH reference to-
Downing Street,
October 17, 1906.
[Canada] my predecessor's despatch of 10th May 1905,‡ which need no
longer be regarded as confidential;
[New Zealand] your despatch No. 42 of 20th July last;$ [Newfoundland] your despatch No. 34 of 9th May_1904 ;||
[Cape] your despatch No. 140 of 13th May 1903;¶
[Natal] your despatch No. 135 of 18th May 1903,
I have the honour to transmit for the information of your Ministers a copy of a despatchft to the Governor-General of Australia explaining the action taken in pursuance of the resolution of the Colonial Conference of 1902 on the subject of the coasting trade and the Navigation Laws of the Empire, together with copies of all the enclosures to that despatch.
No. XII.
Telegraphs and Cables.
I have, &c.,
ELGIN.
(NCTE-Papers circulated on this subject will be found on pp. 195-197 of
1858.
SIR,
[Cd. 3524].)
No. 1.
GENERAL POST OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received January 18, 1904.)
General Post Office, London, January 16, 1904.
I AM directed by the Postmaster-General to enclose, for the information
of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, a copy of correspondence which has passed between this Department and the London Chamber of Commerce on the subject of State-owned telegraphs.
It will be seen that, in replying to the London Chamber, a copy has been forwarded of a reply which had been sent to the Association of Chambers of Commerce of the United Kingdom, who had raised a similar question. A copy of the memorial to which that reply was sent is also forwarded herewith.
I &c.,
H. BABINGTON SMITH.
am,
• No. 14.
tie., Canada, New Zealand, Newfoundland, Cape, and Natal.
§ No. 17.
No. 11. ** No. 5.
tt No. 18.
‡ No. 15.
¶ No. 4.