11

A.—4.

summer of 1906. It appears, however, in the result of the correspondence following upon the abovementioned despatch, that it would not be possible for the Prime Ministers of the Australian Commonwealth and of New Zealand to attend a Conference held later than the spring of 1906. It appears to His Majesty's Government to be doubtful whether it would be practicable to make sufficient preparation before the latter date of the subjects to be discussed at the Conference. A subsequent communication will be addressed to you on this subject at a later date, but in the meantime I should be glad to know whether, in the opinion of your Ministers, it would be advisable in these circumstances to take advantage of the latitude allowed by the terms of the resolution already referred to, and to postpone the meeting of the Conference until the year 1907. The answers received from the colonial Governments in reply to my circular despatch of 20th April last,* with reference to the suggestions for the better organization of the work for the Colonial Conference therein contained, and this telegram, will be published at once. But in deference to the views expressed by the Government of the Dominion of Canada it seems to be desirable to postpone further discussion of these matters until the meeting of the next. Conference. His Majesty's Government consider that the discussion which has already taken place will greatly facilitate the consideration of the subject when the Conference shall assemble. They confidently hope that, following upon the lines of previous Conferences, the next Conference will, in this and in other no less important ways, promote the better union and the collective prosperity of the British Empire. A telegram in identical terms has been sent to [Australia, New Zealand, Cape, Natal, Newfoundland, and Canada]. * No. 1 .

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