BRITAIN AND THE COLONIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 70, 1 July 1910, Page 5

BRITAIN AND THE COLONIES

NEXT IMPERIAL CONFERENCE "FREE AND UNTRAMMELLED." DISCUSSION IN THE COMMONS. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received June 30, 9.55 p.m. London, June 30. The Estimates were further considered by the House of Commons to-day. Colonel Seely (Under-Secretary for the Colonies), speaking on the Colonial Office vote, paid a high tribute to Lord Selbourne. With regard to Australia and j New Zealand, he declared they had no- ' thing to record but what was good. Australia had experienced bountiful harvests, while New Zealand had had moderately good harvests. It .was desirable that visits similar to Sir Charles Lucas' should be a permanent feature of the Colonial Office administration. There Avas a real desire in Australia to extend immigration. The Creation of a special Secretary of. State for the Dominions was only desirable if all the dominions demanded the change. It was doubtful if a British .Prime Minister would be able to find time to superintend the department. The precise date of the meeting of the Imperial Conference could not be settled until the coronation was fixed. Colonel Lynch criticised the proposal that General Sir lan Hamilton should inspect the troops of the overseas dominions as an attempt to gi'alt upon Australians a bad 1 system of Imperialism foreign to Australian sentiment. He added that Australian Governors were only a pale reflex of a bad English system. Really distinguished men weTe never sent—men whom the people could honor. Colonel Seely interjected: "What about Sir William Macjjregor?" Colonel Lynch replied that there were exceptions, but the custom was to send a man where only reputation was a title. Mr. Wedgewood advocated Australia promoting immigration by a big round tax on land values. Colonel Seely, replying, sharply controverted Colonel Lynch's attack on Australian Governors. He did not believe that the- British Government should use the secretariat to spur on the dominions to raise fresh points. The Imperial Conference should be free and untramelled. The vote was agreed to.