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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT-TO
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construction of as many cables as possible. It happened in the war between the United States and Spain, that notwithstanding all the efforts that were made to cut the cables thero never was a time when Spain could not com- municate with her Colonies. Briefly the more cables there are the legs change there is of cutting them all. Well, if you do anything to hamper the construction of cables by private enterprise, naturally you tend to restrict the number of cables, and therefore the Committee were of opinion that it was not desirable to do anything which would check cable construction. That, briefly, is the view of the Committee. It is quite open to the State, if it should desire to do so, to construct rival cables, which was what was dono in the case of the Pacific cable. There is a company's cable to Australia and there is the Government cable to Australia, but that I think hardly covers the point raised by Sir Edmund Barton. I see no objectiou to putting in a clauso where the companies will agree to it, but if the companies will not agree to it you are face to face with a difficulty; the company may refuse to lay the cable subject to such a condition.
Sir EDMUND BARTON: Would it do to insert the words "whorover practicablo"? I have no objection to inserting them.
The EARL OF ONSLOW: That might moct the case.
Mr. SEDDON: What is the point?
Sir EDMUND BARTON: To insert "where practicable,” that would not weaken the resolution in any way, I think.
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Sir WILFRID LAURIER: That is rather a subject of now works. This is now to most of us; but the motion is one on which, on general grounds, there can be no objection. It simply provides for the proper buying of cables if they so choose. Therefore, for my part, I can see no objection to it.
Sir EDMUND BARTON: And it would be a very strong check on indirect action on the part of a Cable Company, which may sometimes come in and take too much advantage of a particular opportunity,
Sir ROBERT BOND: The charter granted to the Anglo-American Telegraph Company by the Colony of Newfoundland, had a clause similar to that you suggest inserted in the agreement, and the Government of the Colony might at any time step in and acquire their property, the value being fixed by a board of arbitrators.
Sir EDMUND BARTON: That is not an uncommon provision; in other directions where the State by Parliament gives private enterprise the right to construct harbour works, or any class of works, it is not unusual to insert a clanso in such a case under the Act.
Sir ROBERT BOND: That is precisely what happoned in the case I refer to..
Sir ALBERT HIME: We have it with regard to railways.
Sir EDMUND BARTON: And wo have it also in connection with private railways.
The Secretary of Stato then put the following Resolution and declared it carried unanimously.
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That it is desirable that in future agreements as to cable communications a clause should wherever practicable ho inserted reserving to the Government or Governments concerned the right of purchasing on equitable terms, and after due notice, all or any of the cables to which the agreements relate.”
THE NATURALISATION OF BRITISH SUBJECTS.
The SECRETARY OF STATE: Then I think the only other point, which has not been disposed of is the question of naturalisation, by the Government of the Cape and the Government of Natal.
Sır ALBERT HIME: We think that it is desirable that there should be some uniform legislation with regard to naturalisation. At presont, a man may be two or three years in England, and some two or three years ia somo other Colony, and yet he cannot be naturalisel until he has lived a certain number of years in any other Colony to which he may go. And it seems to ine, also, that if a man is naturalisod in one Colony then the naturalisation ought to stand in the same way in any other Colony. If he is naturalised in the United Kingdom he ought to be thereby naturalised in any of the British Colonies, and vice versa. If he is naturalised in a British Colony, be ought to be naturalised if he proceeds to England, or any other part of the Empire. That is also the view of the Cape, but, of course, each country has its own naturalisation laws, and each Colony and the Mother Country have different laws with regard to the period of residence before naturalisation onsues. There has been a Committee on the subject, and I believe there was a great deal of correspondence. I do not know whether the Government has taken the matter up as to whether there should be some uniformity of legislation throughout the Empire on the question of naturalisation, so that if a man is once naturalised in any part of the Empire he should be at once naturalised
any other part.
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Sir EDMUND BARTON: I think there would be very considerable opposition to that proposal from Australia and in those Colonics generally which pass laws under which they can deal with certain classes of immigrants, whether British or not. They would be all sure to make the same objection. Of course Natal has passed an immigration restriction law and in addition there are four or five others now in existence; and where they do exist I think that this objection would always arise: That if a person is to be deemed naturalised all over the Empire, whon naturalised in one place, it would seem a remarkably invidious thing to put the immigration law in operation against him, and yet that might be used as an engine, as an end, for the procurement of a large number of naturalisation papers for the purpose of getting over the obstacles which always would exist under the autonomous law of the particular Colony against their introduction. That would be a very awkward difficulty that could arise, and might involve portions of the Empire in serious disagreement with each other, and I think that is a mattor that we ought to tako pains to avoid.
Mr. FULLER: Has there been any expression from Lord Milner about having one law in reference to this term of naturalisation in South Africa?
The SECRETARY OF STATE: Yes, I have received a very strong opinion from Lord Milnor that the present law of naturalisation is alto- gether inadequate, and extremely undesirable in its effects. As I understand, the law at presont in the Cape gives naturalisation at an earlier poriod than in any other part of His Majesty's Dominions.
Mr. FULLER: Practically, no period.
The SECRETARY OF STATE: Practically after six months residence a mau can acquire his citizenship in that way, and the opinion in this country is that British citizenship should not be too freely admitted in the case of an alien, and we have the right, before they acquire it, of being satisfied on sufficient evidence, that they have the intention of permanently taking up their residence amongst us, and we have decided, I think, that five years of fixed residence shall suffice for the purpose accompanied, as it is, by the payment of a certain foe. I confoss I should look with grave suspicion upon any proposal to alter that, or to lessen the period. Our authorities are in favour
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