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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Fifteenth Day. 14 May 1907.

INTERCHANGE

OF PERMANENT

STAFF. (Chairman.)

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point you ought to go a little higher and I am not quite sure that the people, who, according to your principle, ought to exchange offices, would not be the Ministers. I do not say that I would exchange posts with my friend on the left; but, even there I might give you an instance to show how the thing actually works. There is one office in a dominion beyond the seas which is continually filled by politicians coming from political life in this country, and that is the Vice-Royalty of India; but it is curious that no officer of Viceroy of India has ever sat in the office on the other side of this quadrangle. 1 do not say it with any degree of complaint at all, and I can see reasons for it, but at the same time it is an illustration that dealing with certain questions it is not absolutely necessary for a man to be chosen because of his knowledge of the place from which those questions come.

Mr. DEAKIN: I think we all feel-at all events, I feel-an immense gain from a Conference of this kind, simply because coming to this country even for so short a time we do get more in touch with political men and events about which we are reading every week of our lives. It is part of my duty and part of my interest to follow British politics and British affairs, but I have never come here (each of the three times) without getting a great deal of fresh light and removing a certain number of misunder- I feel the many advantages standings, with which my reading has left me. of such visits. I do not wish to occupy the position of a British Minister, but do realise that presence at these Conferences teaches me a great deal about this country which careful study has not brought me abreast of in Australia.

CHAIRMAN: I agree, I was putting the point of the Minister essentially, because that is an exchange from a Ministerial position in this Office to a oppor- Ministerial position in the Colonies. But as to these Conferences and tunities of intercourse, I think I said on more than one occasion I valued them extremely.

I only want to say this word more about the secretariat. I hope the Conference will be disposed to give me a little both of time and confidence in this matter. I have not undertaken this lightly, and I to not think it is a very light task I have undertaken. Therefore, it is that I do not wish to make direct promises with regard to the subjects which Mr. Deakin

any has put before us. What I will do is, I will bear those things in mind, and I hope to make an organisation such as will at any rate decrease the chances of friction between this office and the Colonies.

I hope, from what Mr. Deakin has said, that I shall be met fully in that respect from the other side, because I think he has admitted not only to-day, but on other occasions, that he has found this office both capable and willing to meet the calls made upon it. I do think myself that if that was clearly, distinctly, and emphatically stated to others beyond the seas by men who could speak with the authority which he can, nothing would more tend to diminish friction and prevent a feeling of vexatious loss or anything of that kind than that taking place. We must look to you, Mr. Deakin, and to you fellow leaders across the seas to represent this Office and this Government as I think you really understand and believe it to be, as one thoroughly determined to do justice and to study, to secure, and protect the interests of We these under its charge by every means which it is in our power to use. have Imperial duties, and Imperial duties sometimes may make it less easy will you to show the entire sympathy which we should desire; but I think accept it from me that those occasions never come to us without our being determined to perform the duties they impose upon us with every intention to secure the interests of our fellow subjects across the seas. I hope you will excuse my having made that observation.

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Mr. DEAKIN: If I had the Ilansard of my Parliament here I could show you many occasions on which I have defended the action of this Office and this Government, in some cases when I did not at all agree with it. I doubt if you will find an instance on which I have criticised this Office there with the frankness I have shown here.

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THANKS TO THE EARL OF ELGIN,

Sir WILFRID LAURIER: I have to propose a resolution, which perhaps I may do now. It is in recognition of the services rendered to us by Lord Elgin as Chairman, and I will move it: "The members of "this Conference, representing the self-governing Colonies desire, before they separate, to convey to Lord Elgin their warm and sincere appre- ciation of the manner in which he has presided over their deliberations, as well as of the many courtesies which they have received from him; they desire also to put on record the deep sense of gratitude which they feel for the generous hospitality which has been extended to them by the Government and people of the United Kingdom."

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Mr. DEAKIN: I have very great pleasure in seconding that.

Sir JOSEPH WARD: As I require to leave, Lord Elgin, I wish to say I very heartily endorse the sentiments contained in the resolution, and I want to express my personal appreciation of the courtesy extended to me as the representative of the Colony of New Zealand, both by yourself and your colleagues at this table, and the whole of your staff, and I hope I

may have

the opportunity in the future of seeing you all either out in New Zealand or else here. I go away with very great regret from London, and that regret has been deepened by the boundless hospitality and kindness which has been extended to me on all sides, which has made a great impression on my mind as showing the way in which the people of Old England treat their sons from the Colonies.

CHAIRMAN: I am much obliged, Sir Joseph Ward, for what you have said, and to Sir Wilfrid Laurier for the motion he has put. I should just like to say this: that I have had the ambition throughout this Conference of endeavouring to make the Conference work as I think it should work. I ventured to point out at the beginning of the Conference that we had laid before you papers, not merely Colonial Office papers, but papers prepared by We have done more than that. all departments of His Majesty's Government. We have had representatives of His Majesty's Government present at this Conference, and I find that no less than 12 have been present and taken part in the deliberations. Of course, I may take this credit to myself, that that I had to arrange before the Conference met, and it was satisfactory to me to find that it was in accordance with the first resolution which this Conference passed, namely, that what they desired was that these Conferences should be conferences between Government and Governments. That is the principle on which I endeavoured to arrange the Conference, and in which I think it has been carried out. Of course it does, in a sense, mean that the Secretary for the Colonies, if he is sitting in the chair, has not necessarily to argue the different I do not know that he ever points that come before the Conference. did do so.

But at any rate, I have endeavoured to study the convenience of the members of the Conference, and I am very grateful to those who have said that they have found that I have done so. Somebody has to do that. I think the Secretary of State for the Colonies, under all the circum-

Fifteenth Day.

14 May 1907.

INTERCHANGE

OF PERMANENT STAFF,