AN IMPERIAL INSTITUTE SCHEME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4269, 15 November 1892, Page 3

AN IMPERIAL INSTITUTE SCHEME.

.Jt A cable dated London, November 12th, states that the Committee of the Imperial Federation Council unanimously advise that when Australasia and Africa are united under one government, as is Canada, their London representative Bhould become a member of an Imperial Council, whioh would include the Prime Minister, Secretory of State for the Foreign Department, Secretary for the Colonies, Secretary for War, Secretary for India, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, and that the Couneil should deal with the Imperial defence on the lines of the Marquis of Hartington's Commission: the Council also to supervise the appropriation of money contributed for the defence ot the Empire by the United Kingdom and the colonies, The Committee believe that the Brit* ish colonies are willing to share in the cost of the general defence of the Empire if they are given a voice in the control of the expenditure of the ooramon fund, the provision for local deW fences in the colonies to bo accepted as equivalent to a direct contribution to the Imperial Exchequer, Among measures conduoing to, but not essential to, Federation, though likely to become practicable, are those for the admission of colonial securities to the list of those in which trust funds could be invested with an Imperial guarantee, local loans for purposes aubservientto Imperial ends, immigration, construction of dry docks, strategic cable and railways for the opening of the administrative services o the Empire to all, for the appointment of colonial jurists to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Counoil, for increasing uniformity in statistics and law, and for uniform Imperial postage, The Committee consider the arrangements for the telegraphic sorvice could be made later, and expect that much could be done to improve the inter-Imperial trading relations. They.also are of opinion that a conference to consider « Imperial defence ought to be sum|p. moned at the earliest fitting chance with a preliminary enquiry by afioyal Commission.