PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1220, 31 August 1911, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

THE COUNCIL. IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. REVIEWED BY SIR JOHN FINDLAY. 'The Legislative Council met. at 2.30 -yesterday afternoon. Tho Imprest Supply Bill No. 2 was received from the House of Representatives nn'i, was passed through all stages. 'Xofiiio of motion was given by tho Hon. Dr. Collins of his intention to move on Friday that a return of'the number of cases of phthisis (approximately) in the Dominion, and tho localities' in which tho dfser.se is most prevalent be laid upon the table, of the Council before the end of the session. Tho Hon. Sir John FINDLAY explained at some length tho work done nt.the recent Imperial Conference so far us it affected the interests of the Dominion. The work done and the resolutions agreed to divided themselves in two parts, the tirst being "the' relation of Hue Empire to foreign nations. Concessions ivDre made of a wide- and significant kind. England would not in tho.• future enter into agreements affecting the Dominions overseas without consulting the Governments concerned. (Hear, hear;) Alter dealing at considerable length with tho position as between the Dominions and The Motherland he said ho thought, there must come an 'alteration in ..the constitution of the Umpire which would square 'more with the facts and features of it. Home Eulo for England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales jnight.be expected not far from now. If this was granted, with representation in an Imperial Parliament at Westminster what answer could bo given to New Zealand or any oversea Dominion that asked for representation? This problem he thought would have to be. faced. The limo would arrive when the Imperial Government would have to draft a scheme which would embrace us all. • ■..'•"■■ The Privy Council. An agreement had been arrived at in regard to tho Privy Council as the ultimate Court of Appeal and a scheme was to bo Submitted to the oversea Dominions under which there would bo one Imperial Court of Appeal for: the whole Lmpire. This would have two divisionsone to try appeals from tho "United Kingdom and the other to try appeals from the oversea Dominions. The same Judges wpnld constitute the Courts, but the Bench was to bo strengthened by two. Further, New Zealand had tho right to have placed on the final Court of Appeal a New Zealand Judge, who will bo entitled to sit in Now Zealand cases. South Africa, Canada, and Australia had a similar right. We could establish a .fudge permanently in England if wo thought fit, but his view was that thero was not enough work to warrant , this. However, our Judges went Homo on leave occasionally and ho thought it might bo made a condition of their furlough that they should sit on New Zealand cases that camp up when they were Home and ho did not , apprehend that any Judge would object to such a. high office. In the future, also, dissenting judgments could also be given where it was thought necessary. After dealing with Ihe naturalisation laws Sir John IHndlay said another interesting concession was an . arrangement made for giving- effect to judgments, orders, and awards throughout.'the Empire under certain safeguards. Very little 'progress had been made in the matter.of foreign sailors in British ships.. It , was difficult to movo the British Government in regard to shipping matter. An undertaking was given "that the "cable rate's between England and New Zealand would be reduced before very"long, but they got very little.) lencouragcnlenfrl linl i regard » to*; the suggestion as to State-owned cables. Referring to Suez Canal charges is'ir John I'indlay.. said-tho -P. and 0. Company paid, more ,in canal -dues than- it paid altogether in : wages to its seamen. . This must bo a drag ■ on communication between Australia . and New Zealand', and the Motherland, but England only had one-fifth voice although they would do their best as they had dono in the past to get a Tcduction of the.charges. Immigration and the Land, - The speaker proceeded to refer at length to the number of people who aro leaving Great Britain. The spirit of immigration, he said, was abroad in the land and the outlook was not bright unless some heroic courageous step was taken. England had the. worst land system in the civilised world and it was this cursed land system that was driving England's sons out of the country. Was it not time, he asked, that England entrusted the Government of each of tho four divisions to its own Parliament? Tho House of Commons could aot continue to deal with the immense amount of wort which foil on- it and tho way out seemed to. hini to be to give to each division the control of its own matters and let them form their own land system. The land question was the matter we had to consider closely. We should place our own sons on the soil and having dono that, we should open ,our lands to tho sons of the Motherland. By a proper examination of the systems we had and which had succeeded, he ■thought we could develop a system which •would, he believed, place, us in the forefront of the world in this connection. Wo must, ho added, stop the fatal drift from the eonntry. to the towns. Not only must wo iind land for tho people, but we must try to inako country life morn comfortable. (Hear, hear.) We must make life in the backwoeds more attractive. Tho cursed war about land tenures was tho curso of our people. (Applause.) • v *

t Jl le t ? on A J> E - moved that the Council express its appreciation of the services rendered by ■ tho Primo Minister and the Attorney-General at the Imperial Conference. ■The Hon. J. KIGGJ- seconded tho motion and discussion was adjourned until <O-day. •