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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O. 885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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POLITICAL RELATIONS.

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Mr. Reid.] I must express my intense disappointment that this project has resolved itself in the way it has.

Mr. Kingston.] No doubt Mr. Reid had special reasons for desiring something else. His proposal did not commend itself to the Colonial Office

or the rest of Australia.

Mr. Reid.] The gentleman we unreservedly admire, but it is the novel position of the difference between a judge in Australia and a judge here.

Mr. Kingston.] If Mr. Reid invites a discussion on that, it will induce some comments on an appointment which he himself recommended which I do not think he would like to hear.

The Secretary of State.] Pardon me, I do not think it is necessary at all; and I particularly desire to deal first with the point which you have raised.

Mr Kingston.] Quite.

The Secretary of State.] And I really think, upon reflection, you will see that it can hardly have been otherwise than it was. We were dealing with an appointment for the whole of Australia, in which seven different Colonies were concerned.

Mr. Kingston.] Yes.

The Secretary of State.] And the communications in every case were conducted through the Governors. At the same time we were very glad to have private information from the Agents-General of the opinions, the personal opinions, of their respective Governments,

Mr. Kingston.] Of course, I regret I have not come prepared to discuss the fullest details of the matter, but the impression left upon my mind was that the Agent-General was placed in a position which he ought not to have been placed in, and in which he was led to expect he would not be placed. I should be most happy indeed to bring matters more particularly under your notice if you so desire, after a consultation with the gentleman more immediately acquainted with them.

The Secretary of State.] I should be delighted to talk it over with you privately.

Mr. Kingston.] But do think this; speaking as a general rule, it is much more convenient to negotiate these matters through the Agent-General than through the Governor, and though we would not for one moment desire to do anything that would place a slight upon the representative of Her Majesty, we trust every consideration will be extended to the Agent-General.

out.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier.] Still the subject is one which is capable of thinking At the present time the official channel of communication between the Colonies and the Colonial Office is the Governor-General, and all propositions must come through him. The great advantage, which I suppose we all derive from the appointment of Commissioners or Agents-General here, is that the Colonial Government is able to communicate direct confidentially, What we have and have confidential reports made to the home authorities. found is, I suppose it is not the fault of the home Government, and it is not the fault of the Colonia! Government, that there is a good deal of formality about communications.

Mr. Reid.] And let us hope that will long be preserved, as it saves them a lot of quarrelling, I can assure you.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier.] The Colonies are able to press matters and to hasten matters when they come afterwards through the Governor-General.

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The Secretary of State.] Yes, and to put, as you say to put directly the views of the Government before that decision is arrived at. I think it is a great advantage to us to have the benefit of their assistance.

Mr. Kingston.] I think, also-I am speaking a little without book in con- nexion with the appointment of a Governor-that the Agent-General had been put in a similar invidious position, in learning from the press report for the first time, the selection made by the Imperial authorities, and I respectfully suggest that is a position which might well be avoided without injury to any of the rules which have been referred to.

The Secretary of State.] There, again, you are raising a question of the greatest difficulty and complication. It never will do for the suggestion or recommendation of a Governor to get out until the appointment is actually made, because it may be stopped at any moment. The appointment is made by the Queen, and until the Queen has given her assent there can be no communication to anybody.

Mr. Kingston. Yes; I will put it this way. Is the position such that it is desirable that the press should be informed before the representative of the Colony ?

Mr. Reid.] May that not happen in this way, for which the Colonial Office is entirely irresponsible. A gentleman knows he is going out as Governor. He naturally tells his wife; the wife tells her bosom friend: and the press will get anything that gets that far. Without the Colonial Office giving any intimation to anyone the press gets private communications of that sort, and naturally when a man is going out to Australia he tells his relations, and it leaks out, and it is not the Colonial Office that is at fault.

Sir John Forrest.] I think the Agents-General generally get it before it gets into the press; the press gets it the same day.

Mr. Reid.] The same day.

The Secretary of State.] It is generally telegraphed out at the same time, but the difficulty is that it would never do, for instance, to have it stated that an appointment of this kind had been offered to a particular gentleman, and he had declined. That might be construed as offensive to the Colony. And neither would it do to have it said that it had been suggested to a particular gentleman, and that there had been a hitch subsequently, either the Queen had refused to give her assent, or something else had occured to make a difficulty, so that it is a most difficult matter. The proper rule and custom is that as soon as the appointment is made by the Queen it is announced by telegraph to the Colonies and it is put into print, because there is the greatest fear that if you do not put it in as soon as it is made it will leak out as Mr. Reid has said.

Mr. Kingston.] But, putting it at the worst, is there anything to prevent its being communicated to the Agent-General at the same that it is communi- cated to the press? I do think that the representative of the Colonial Government is entitled to as much confidence as the press.

The Secretary of State.] The press is only a channel of communication to all the world, but surely the communication made by cable to the present That is a Governor or Administrator is sufficient for that purpose. communication made at once to the Governor of the Colony.

Mr. Reid] The Agent-General might communicate it to the press; I know I would.

Mr. Kingston.] The agent might get that attention paid to him, and not allow his first knowledge of it to be got from the public press.

Mr. Seddon] Might I come back to the question at issue. I may say at once that our relations, and the relations of the Agent-General, with the Colonial Office are of a perfectly satisfactory character; we have nothing to complain of. On the question, of course as to giving every consideration to

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