RIGHT TO SECEDE

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1930, Page 6

RIGHT TO SECEDE

CANADA’S POLITICIANS. [United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.] OTTAWA, Oot. 1. Sir Thomas White, a former Minister in the Federal Government of Canada, in a letter appearing in the ‘‘Toronto Mail and Empire,” expresses the opinion that the view attributed to the British Secretary of State for the Dominions, Mr J. It. Thomas, that no body questions in the least the right of any Dominion t-o secede from the Empire is quite unsound; and he says: “I would not like t 0 see it pass without comment or criticism by the public or press of Canada,” He says that Mr Thomas “makes an assertion which is not only inaccurate in itself, but purports to speak for those of the overseas Empire whose representatives may, and some of whom undoubtedly' do, take a very different view.” Sir T. White /asks: “What is the validity of thi3 declaration of the Imperial Conference unless it is enacted into positive law by the Imperial Parliament? The right- to secede can only be given by the legislative authority that created , bur constitution. It cannot beeon-: ferred hy the members of a mere conference without legislative powers . whose declaration is not binding, -upon, any PaiTiament—imperial, Federal, -"or throughout'"the Empire? r