CO885-9 — Page 262

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די

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

885

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

Cd. 1299

of 1902,

PP. 38-40.

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19. Or, to take more recent instances, Resolutions were passed at the Colonial Conference of 1902 with regard to the state of the laws affecting shipping, to the position of the mail services between different parts of the Empire, and to questions of freight charges and the securing of suitable steamers for Imperial service in time of war. Resolutions were also passed in favour of the adoption of some system for the protection of patents in the various parts of the Empire, of the adoption of the metric system of weights and measures for use within the Empire, and of a cheaper postage within the Empire.

20. In most of these cases the very form of the Resolution indicated the need for subsequent inquiry into facts, and into the best practical means of carrying into effect the principles expressed, and obviously the Colonial Conference itself had neither the time nor the means to make such an inquiry. Whether it should be made and how it should be made was, in fact, left to the discretion of each Government.

21. His Majesty's Government desire to express their opinion that it would have greatly conduced to acceleration of business and to the utility of the work done by the Conference if there had then been in existence a permanent Commission, representing all the States concerned, to which in each case the Conference could have directly reterred the task of examining facts and reporting as to the best way of carrying out the principles laid down.

22. In addition to those already mentioned, other questions will readily occur in which it is desirable to harmonize, so far as possible, the legislation of the United Kingdom and the Colonies. Sometimes in matters of joint concern an attempt has been made to arrange an ad hoc Conference containing Representatives of the several States interested. But this is found in practice to be difficult to effect, and there has to be much correspondence and loss of time before such a Committee can be brought together.

23. Both in the United Kingdom and in the Colonies, when questions arise in regard to which Governments and Parliaments require more light and knowledge before taking action, it is usual to appoint Royal Commissions or Departmental Committees to inquire into the subject and to suggest solutions. His Majesty's Government desire to submit for consideration the proposal that His Majesty should be advised to appoint a Com- mission of a more permanent kind to discharge the same functions in regard to questions of joint concern. The Commission would only act upon references made either by the Imperial Council, at their meetings, or, at any time, by His Majesty's Government together with one or more of the Colonial Governments. Its functions would be of a purely consultative and advisory character, and would not supersede but supplement those of the Colonial Office. The Commission might be constituted at first for a term of years, and then, if it were found to be useful and successful, it could be renewed. The Commission would, it is proposed, consist of a permanent nucleus of members nominated, in a certain proportion, by the His Majesty's Government and the Colonial Governments, but there should be power to the Commission to obtain the appointment of additional members, when necessary, for the purpose of making special inquiries. The persons appointed by the several Govern- ments to be permanent members of the Commission would no doubt be men of business or of official experience, and their remuneration would rest with the Governments which they respectively represented.

24. The Commission should have an office in London, as the most convenient centre, and an adequate secretarial staff, the cost of which His Majesty's Government would be willing to defray. It would probably be convenient that the Secretary of the He would Commission should also act as Secretary to the Imperial Council when it met. be responsible for keeping all records both of the Council and the Commission,

25. If His Majesty's Government find that there is sufficient prima facie agreement on the part of the Colonial Governments they will cause a more definite scheme for the

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constitution of the Commission to be prepared and forwarded to the Colonial Govern- ments for their observations.

26. A despatch in identical terms has been sent to

I have the honour to be,

Your most obedient, humble Servant,

ALFRED LYTTELTON.

PRINTED AT TER FOREIGN OFFICE ET J. W. HARRISON,—19/4/1904,