BIG ISSUES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18896, 11 January 1927, Page 8

BIG ISSUES.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE DOMINION RIGHTS, SIR FRANCIS BELL RETURNS. [THE rBEBS Bpeei*l BsrviM.l WELLINGTON, January 10. The Bight Hon. Sir Francis Bell, P.C., who, with the Prims Minister, represeated New Zealand at the Imperial Conference, returned to Wellington by the Corinthic. To-day he' made a statement in regard to the unanimity of the Prime Ministers upon important consti, tutional questions, and he indicated the great difficulties involved in the prob. lems dealt with.

"The Imperial Conference," said Sir Francis, "sat 1e full session only intermittently, and the business wag referred to separate committees, the committees in some cases being assisted by experts such as the Economic; Committee and tho Research Comu ti ,iee. The most important and serious matter relating to the status and separate rights pf the' Dominions was deferred to and considered by a committee consisting exclusively of Prime Ministers, and, together with President Cosgrave' of the Irish Free State, and the Secretary of State for India, that committee arrived at unanimity in the statement which was published in the Press. Thafe_ statement was a distinct advance in the definition, and to a certain extent the. limitation, of theories which had been, advanced by the Governments of the various Dominions in recent years. Status of Governor-General. "I think that possibly the subject of the authority to be exercised by the Home Government in matters relating to the Dominions had given rise to greater difference of opinjpn aniopg the Governments of the Dominions than any other, and it iB difficult to exaggerate the in> portanee of unanimity of his Majesty's Government and that of the several Dominions in the resulting statement that the Governor-General was to be recarded as the representative of his Majesty, and not of the Imperial Gov> crnme'nt, and consequently to act to the extent his Majesty does on the advice of the Ministers of the Dominion, without the right to seek direction or to require to accept direction from the Secretary of State. Treaties and the King. "Another difficult matter, that relating to treaties entered into by treat Britain, or by the Dominions, produced evidence of the large difference of opinion, but another committee to which this question was referred, ana which sat practically during the whole period of the conference, also arrived at a unanimous agreement that every treatv should be made in the name or his Majestv, upon the advice of lus Majesty's Ministers of Great Britain or of the Dominion entering into the treatv as the case might require. That is the main point, and J do not desire to enter into the minutis? of the details relating to separate treaties which were also fully discussed, and a final agreement arrived at.

Statutes Reserved. "A third question of some difficulty was not decided, but was referred to a committee of experts to be later appointed. That question is the power of the Governor-General to reserve for Ins Majesty's assent statutes conflicting with principles established by the legislation of Great Britain, for example laws relating to shipping, marriage, and nationality. Tho right of reservation involves the existing right of his Majesty on the advice of his Government of Great Britain to refuse assent to an ,Act passed by a Dominion Legislature. The general principle that each Dominion has complete autonomy was fully conceded by the representatives of his Majesty's Government, but the obvious advantage in some limited subjects pf absence of conflict in the legislation of different parts of the Empire made it necessary to postpone any conclusive decision which would involve the exclusion of his Majesty's final power to require further consideration by a Dominion of such legislation before final assent should bo giyen. There is involved also a consideration of tho question of extra-territorial authority of a Dominion Legislature, such for example, as is involved in legislation affecting ships on the high seas, or extradition of foreign offenders.

•The Prime Minister. "I do not think it right for anyone but a Prima Minister to speak more definitely than I have done upon the subject matters considered by the conference or to comment upon the results or their probable effect, and indeed I have no direct knowledge of what results were taken into consideration by the committee of Prime Ministers when they arrived ai il>eir agreement upon the most important o.' the subjects which the Imperial Con<ference dealt with. Not only has the Prime Minister generally the sole right to speak on such matters, but specially is that go in the case of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who from the outset obtained and throughout held in exceptional measure the respect and attention of the whole con:ference. In his own unassuming but determined way, he gained the confidence of all the other Prime Ministers."