CO885-9 — Page 261

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

2

6. The questions to be discussed were proposed by Mr. Chamberlain in his speech at the opening of the Conference, and included political relations, defence, commercial relations, and matters connected with ocean cables, the establishment of an Imperial penny post, and alien immigration laws. It is worthy of observation that in connection with the subject of commercial relations Mr. Chamberlain referred to a suggestion which had been made at a meeting of the Australian Prime Ministers at Hobart that a Commission should be appointed to inquire into the feasibility of closer commercial 1897, p. 10. arrangements within the Empire, in favour of which a Resolution had been passed at

that meeting.

Mr. Chamberlain stated that if it were the wish of the other self- governing Colonies to join in such an inquiry Her Majesty's Government would be glad to take part in it, and to make arrangements for the purpose.

0. 8596 of

1909.

7. On the question of the political relations between the United Kingdom and the self-governing Colonies the following Resolutions were carried :---

CL

(1.) The Prime Ministers here assembled are of opinion that the present political relations between the United Kingdom and the self-governing Colonies are generally satisfactory under the existing condition of things."

Mr. Seddon and Sir E. N. C. Braddon dissented from this Resolution, thinking that some step in advance might be taken.

“(2.) They are also of opinion that it is desirable, whenever and wherever practic- able, to group together under a federal union those Colonies which are geographically united.

*(3.) Meanwhile, the Premiers are of opinion that it would be desirable to hold periodical Conferences of Representatives of the Colonies and Great Britain for the discussion of matters of common interest."

The second and third Resolutions were carried unanimously.

8. The third Colonial Conference took place in the year 1902. In a telegram on Od 1999 of the 23rd January of that year Mr. Chamberlain intimated the desire of His Majesty's Government to take advantage of the presence in London of the Prime Ministers of the various self-governing Colonies in connection with His Majesty's Coronation to discuss with them various important questions of public interest. The subjects intimated in that telegram were the political and commercial relations of the Empire and its naval and military defence. The various Governments were also invited to furnish a state- ment of any subjects which they thought might be usefully discussed, and, with a view to facilitate and give a definite direction to the discussion, they were asked to furnish the text of any Resolutions which they might desire to submit to the Conference

9. In addition to the Prime Ministers of the Dominion of Canada, the Common- wealth of Australia, New Zealand, Cape Colony, Natal, and Newfoundland, the Con- ference was assisted by the Minister of Defence for the Commonwealth of Australia and 'by the Canadian Ministers of Customs, of Militia and Defence, of Finance, and the Canadian Postmaster-General. The Secretary of State for War, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and the President of the Board of Trade were also present at the discussion of the questions affecting their special Departments.

10. Important Resolutions were passed at this Conference with regard to the proposal to establish a system of reciprocal preferential treatment of products and manufactures within the Empire in respect of customs duties, and as to other matters. The Resolution to which it is desired at present to call attention is the following:

"That it would be to the advantage of the Empire if Conferences were held, as far as practicable, at intervals not exceeding four years, at which questions of common interest affecting the relation of the Mother Country and His Majesty's dominions over the seas could be discussed and considered as between the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Prime Ministers of the self-governing Colonies. The Secretary of State for the Colonies is requested to arrange for such Conferences after communica- tion with the Prime Ministers of the respective Colonies. In case of any emergency arising upon which a Special Conference may have been deemed necessary, the next ordinary Conference to be held not sooner than three years thereafter.”

3

11. It will be observed that these Conferences have, step by step, assumed a more definite shape and acquired a more continuous status. Their constitution has lost the vagueness which characterized the assembly of 1887. The Conferences now consist of the Prime Ministers of the self-governing Colonies, together with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, assisted, when the subjects of the discussion make this advan- tageous, by other high officials of the United Kingdom and the Colonies.

12. Again, the first three Conferences met in connection with the presence of the Colonial Representatives in London incidental to important Imperial celebrations. But by the Resolution passed at the last Conference, and already quoted, future meetings will be at prescribed intervals, and will be solely for the transaction of business. It may therefore be said that an Imperial Council for the discussion of matters which concern alike the United Kingdom and the self-governing Colonies bas grown into existence by a natural process. In the opinion of His Majesty's Government it might be well to discard the title of "Colonial Conferences," which imperfectly expresses the facts, and to speak of these meetings in future as meetings of the "Imperial Council." They desire, without pressing it, to make this suggestion for the consideration of the Colonial Governments.

13. The Secretary of State for the Colonies would represent His Majesty's Government. India, whenever her interests required it, would also be represented. The other members of the Council would be the Prime Ministers of the Colonies represented at the Conference of 1902, or, if any Prime Ministers should be unable to attend, by Representatives appointed for that purpose by their Governments.

The permanent body of the Imperial Council would be thus formed, but, as in 1902, their consultations could be assisted, when necessary for special purposes, by other Ministers belonging either to the Imperial or to the Colonial Governments.

14. Upon these points His Majesty's Government would be glad to have the opinion of the Colonial Governments. It would probably be desirable that the future composi- tion of the Imperial Council should be one of the subjects for discussion at the approaching ordinary Conference to be held in the summer of 1906.

15. His Majesty's Government doubt whether it would be wise or necessary to give by any instrument to this Council a more formal character, to define more closely its constitution, or to attempt to delimit its functions. The history of Anglo-Saxon institu- tions, such as Parliament or the Cabinet system, seems to show that an institution may often be wisely left to develop in accordance with circumstances and, as it were, of its own accord, and that it is well not to sacrifice elasticity of power of adaptation to premature definiteness of form. There is every reason for confidence that the meetings of the Imperial Council (if this name prove to be acceptable to the Colonial Govern- ments) will promote unity both in sentiment and action of the States which, together with the Crown Colonies and Dependencies, constitute the British Empire, and it may

be said, without exaggeration, that upon this unity the peace and welfare of a large part of the world depend.

16. His Majesty's Government now desire to make a suggestion to which they attach considerable importance, for the consideration of the Colonial Governments.

17. It is obvious that the Prime Ministers of the Colonies, when they come to London for these meetings, cannot remain there for long, on account of their important duties at home. It is therefore desirable that subjects which they may agree to discuss should be as much as possible prepared beforehand by a body on which they would be represented, and should be presented to them in as concise and clear a form and with as much material for forming a judgment as possible.

In questions of defence this work is already done by the Imperial Defence Committee, on which also His Majesty's Government desire to obtain from time to time the presence af Colonial Representatives. The present proposal relates, therefore, not to defence questions, but to those of a civil character.

18. Again, it would be useful that there should be such a body in permanent existence to which the Imperial Council at their meetings could refer questions Tu subsequent examination and report. A reference of this kind might, for instance, have been made to such a body, if it had existed, by the Colonial Conference of 1897 with regard to the question mentioned above (paragraph 6).

[582]

B 2