IMPERIAL COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1114, 29 April 1911, Page 5

IMPERIAL COUNCIL.

DEPUTATION TO BRITISH PREMIER A MEMORIAL. IMPORTANT SPEECHES. MR. ASQUITH SYMPATHETIC. By Telegraph—Press Associatkm-GopyriEM (Rec. April 28, 11.5 p.m.) London, April 28. To-day Mr. J. N. Griffiths (Unionist member for Wedncsbury) introduced a deputation of members of the House of Commons, which presented Mr. Asquith with the following memorial in favour of an Imperial Council, bearing three hundred signatures:— We, the undersigned member's of Parliament, representing all political parties, are of the opinion that the time has arrived to take practical steps to associate the oveaseas Dominions in a more permanent manner with the conduct of Imperial affairs, if possible, by means of an established representative Council of an advisory character in touch with public opinion throughout the Empire. Mr. Griffiths said the deputation represented men of all parties,'including advanced Conservatives and Socialists. Its aim was to place the question of Imperial unity outside party politics. If Mr. Asquith gave a definite lead he would bo astonished at the enthusiasm his action would evoke in all parts of the Empire.

Closer Co-operation. Captain Crawshaw Williams (Liberal) emphasised the growing sentiment regarding tho necessity of machinery which would bring the Dominions into closer touch with those- Imperial affairs which were at present mainly the Motherland's care, though they affected the Empire as a whole. Several methods of achieving closer co-opera-tion had been advocated, hence- it would bo a mistake to assume a dogmatic tone or forco upon the public a cut-and-dried plan. There could scarcely be any doubt that an attempt- on the part of'his Majesty's Government, to d«ial with tho matter would have considerable effect in sustaining and strengthening Imperial sentiment in all parts.of the. Empire, and would gratify a largo body of opinion in Britain, which was ready to welcome- any constitutional and reasonable method of facilitating the eo-operation of the British democracies. Spsedy Action Bssircd. Mr. A. l-lanmierslcy (Unionist) said he was convinced by a number of years' residence in different parts of the Empire that, the suggestion embodied in -the memorial would have tho hearty approval' of tlio vast majority of their fellow, subjects in tho Dominions who earnestly desired practicable and speedy action tending to promote the Empire's consolidation without interfering with the autonomy of the self-governing Dominions. Mr. Asquith's- Speech. Mr. Asquith, inikeplfovcxpressed appreciation of tho importance of the signatures appended to tho memorial, which was moro variously supported than any he could remember to ■ have seen in the course of his career. He would hdve pleasure in bringing the memorial before the Imperial Conference on the occasion for discussion which would be raised by New Zealand's resolution. Ho promised to make tho Conference fully acquainted with the significance of tho signatures. Naturally nothing of a practical nature was feasible in tho direction suggested in the memorial without tho fullest concurrence and consent of the overseas Dominions.

The deputation acknowledged the sympathetic' manner in which . it had been received by the Prime Minister. NEW ZEALAND'S RESOLUTION. New Zealand's resolution reads as follows:— That the Empire has now reached a stage of Imperial development which renders it expedient that there should he an Imperial Council of State, with representatives from all the- constituent parts of the Empire, whether self-governing or not, in theory, and in fact advisory to-the Imperial Government on all questions affecting the interests of His Majesty's Dominions Oversea. EMPIRE DEFENCE. STATEMENT BY SIR J. WARD, London, April 27. Sir Joseph Ward, Prime Minister of Now Zealand, interviewed, declared that there could be no taxation without representation; hence New Zealand's proposals to como before the Imperial Conference. "The overseas Dominions," said Sir Joseph Ward, "contain thirteen million people of the British race, and there must be a fair distribution of the burden of defence. If each of the Dominions undertook its share, the Dominions themselves could build fifty Dreadnoughts, without any great effort."