THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1566, 9 April 1887, Page 2

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

London, April 5. The second meeting of the Imperial Conference took place at the Colonial Office to-day, and lasted two hours and a-half. - The question of the naval defences of the Australasian colonies was thoroughly discussed. Lord George Hamilton, First Lord of the Admiralty, proposed that the Australian fleet should bo increased, supplementing the present squadron by five cruisers and torpedo boats. England will undertake the construction of those vessels if the colonies will maintain them ; the whole fleet to be under the control of the Admiral. The contributions from the colonies would be £120,000 per annum in war time and £90,000 during peace ; also that the sum of £ot),000 annually should be paid into a sinking fund. The reliefs for the squadron would.be triennial. The Victorian Governra-nt have agreed to the maintenance proposals, but have objected to the sinking fund, contending that the expense they have to bear in connection with their local fleet should be taken as a set-off. Mr Downer, on behalf of South tralia, has concurred in the proposals, and the Government of New South Wales has accepted the offer, urging ' upon the Admiralty liberal treatment. Sir E. Griffiths, Queensland, and Mr Dodds, the representative of Tasmania, have also concurred iu the proposal. The New Zealand Government will arrange separately. Lord Hamilton declined to abate the amount. of the sinking fund, stating that it ought to have been £40,000. A long discusbiou took place on the proposals, but no agreement was arrived at, the Victorian delegates remaining firm on the question

of the sinking fond. The discussion was adjourned until the 18tb inst., to enable the delegates to consult iheir respective Ministries with reference to the proposals made by the Imperial Goment.

The delegatee will pay a visit to Sir Win, Armstrong's factory at Elswick at Easter aud Portsmouth on the 13tb. Sir Reginald Hanson, Lord Major of London, will entertain the colonial representatives at a banquet on May 4th.

It is rnmered that the delegates are not agreed upon the New Hebrides question, and that the representatives of New South Wales, South Australia, nnd New Zealand are opposed to the views held by those of Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania.

April 6.

At the conference yesterday Mr Downer read his speech, because, ai he said, be could not trust himself to speak without emotion.

Mr Deal li ssid (but the action of the Imperial G -v rnment in convening the conference was eminently gratifying, pnd indicated a better appreciation s of the colonies on the part of the Empire. The time was not very Itjng ago when English Ministers would never have dreamed of sending such an invitation to the colonies, but there never was a time when the colonies would not gladly have accepted an invitation to send representatives to confer with the Imperial authorities on questions of Imperial and colonial interest. He alluded to the inertness frequently displayed in the Foreign and Colonial Office in relation to questions of great importance to the colonies, and remarked that while the official despatches showed that successive Cabinets were filled with the very best intentions, the result was often most unsatisfactory. He compared the vacillating policy of England regarding the annexation, of New Guinea with regard to the vigorous action of Germany. Speaking of the deportation of the recidivistes to the Pacific, be said that some of the colonies were eager to obtain an expression of opinion from the Imperial Government as to whether Australia is to have the taint of convictism of the worst class trust upon it. Victoria was determined to use every effort to ventilate the question to the fullest extant, with a view to obtaining a satisfactory settlement of the matter. The representatives of that colony were, however, prepared to submit to the desire of the majority. Earl Granville urged that the colonics and colonial questions should be treated by British statesmen apart from the influence of party feelings. In that lay the only hope of securing continuity anti consistency m their colonial po icy. Mr Stanhope was of opinion that the present was a specially favorable time to consider the question of the defence of the Empire. The colonial delegates have been invited by Sir Samnel Wilson to visit Bughenden on April 21st. Stdnkt, April 7.

Tbe Government has instructed the New South Wales delegates to the Imperial Conference to act with the other Australian delegate, if possible, on questions relating to New Guinea and the New Hebrides, or deportation of criminals to the Pacific.