COLONIAL CONFERENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1945, 29 November 1906, Page 2

COLONIAL CONFERENCE.

- I Q OPINION IN CANADA. PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT lteoeived 11.15 g.ic., Nov. 28. Ottawa, Nov. 28. Dating tho debate un the Addreß6-in-Rsply iu the Senate at O.tawa Mt Longneed, Leader of the Opposition, urged Parliament, in view o£ tile coining Colonial Conference, to oonsidec the vivendi whereby the British Minister had overridden Newfoundland’s statutes, and given the United States lerritoiial privileges. Such ao action had iar-reachiug tffeois- li a similar ac.ion were taken on a question involving Canada the result woula be disintegration oi toe Empire. Only by recognising the fullest local autonomy and retraining from undue interference in colonial affairs would the Empire be kept together. That tuo Colonial Office exhibited a liability to unduly interfere was shown by the action in regard to New Hebrides, where New Zealand add Aus tralia protested, and in Natal, where the Imperial Government had to recede. . Mr boott, beoretary for State, replied that the Imperial Government's one mistake in regaid to Newfoundland was that the vivendi allowed purse semes, whicn Canada’s and Newfoundland’s etaiutes forbid. Americans, reoogmsing the mistake, agreed, diubiless under pressure to relinquish seines.