A.—4

82

2nd Day.} Reconstitution of the Colonial Office. [25 May, 1911. Sir JOSEPH WARD— cont. machinery that I desire to have established in our country as the outcome of this resolution a system similar to what you have between the King and the British Government. lam unable at the moment to see, although it has occurred to me you with your knowledge of detail here might be able to see, except in the case of a secret note or anything of that kind requiring to be sent to the Governor or Governor-General, where the disability would arise if those communications were sent out through the High Commissioner. The point in my mind when I gave notice of this resolution was to see that anything you wanted to convey to the Government came to the High Commissioners, so that it would be received instanter by the Government and conveyed instanter to the Governor. If the action of the Government could be taken only subsequent to the Governor himself receiving the despatches, everything would go on in the ordinary way. I propose that entirely from the view of facilitating the work between the Home Government and the Dominions. Mr. FISHER : That is No. 6 % Sir JOSEPH WARD : Yes. Mr. Harcourt referred to it in his remarks. The reason that prompted me in putting that resolution was not with an idea of finding fault with the existing conditions, or suggesting a change merely for the sake of having a change made, but with a view of expedition of business between the Home Authorities and the oversea Dominion Governments, without displacing the Governor or doing anything to affect the channel of communication that the Secretary for the Colonies is in the habit of sending information through. Mr. PEARCE : As regards No. 6, you do not mean that the High Commissioner should be the sole channel of communication to the Governor-General ? Mr. HARCOURT : The Governors-General are cut out. Mr. FISHER : Would Sir Joseph Ward say what the words of his resolution mean? Sir JOSEPH WARD : That the High Commissioner should become the sole channel of communication between the Imperial Government and the Dominion Government. Mr. HARCOURT : That is really the end. The rest is an explanation. The PRESIDENT : Literally read, that would seem to cut off all communication between the Secretary of State and the Governor. Mr. FISHER : Yes, this wording makes it rather difficult. If it is punctuated differently it is all right. Sir JOSEPH WARD :I do not mean that. I mean matters which require to come to the Government. All I am anxious to insure is that there should not be two different channels, and that we should have the opportunity of sending on to the Governor everything that comes to us that affects the Government. All matters of communication which the Secretary of State requires to make, on which consultation between the Governor and the Government would be necessary, would remain as at present. I only suggest this for the purpose of getting a better method of conducting our business between the two. Mr. Harcourt suggested that the Secretary of State should have power to summon the political or permanent head of any other Department—that is, to the Committee. Mr. HARCOURT : Yes. Sir JOSEPH WARD : That is the Government head of the Home Department?