EMPIRE MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 884, 2 August 1910, Page 8

EMPIRE MATTERS.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN HOUSE-OF COMMONS. Mattere Greater British occupied a prominent position during the week ending Juno 2-1 in the House of Commons. , Questions of greater or less importance huvo teen showered down on the Undersecretary of State for Greater Britain and the Colonies, who has with much suavencss sent his interrogators away with as little information as possible. The subjects ranged Imperially, from .Canada to Natal aud New Zealand to British Guiana and to Malta. Answering Mr. Burgoyne, who is ono of the growing band of "-Empire-mem-bers,," Xlr. M'Kemiu, Mrst Lord of-tiro Admiralty; said the orders for the Australian and New Zealand armoured warships had been placed. The ships were botli laid down, is to the New Zealand destroyers, they havo not yet been ordered, but will be ready in, time to go out with tho rest of. the Now Zealand ships in 1912. • : ■ ■" Major Ad mi, who represents Woolwich in tho Unionist interest, asked tho Un-der-Sccictary of State for- Greater Britain and the Colonies whether, in view of tho announcement that all the agreements of commercial reciprocity recent; ly made between tho Government of the Imperial Dominion of Canada and the Government of foreign countries had been made with the full knowledge. and consent of the Colonial Office, the Government would apply the principles of this'policy to the other parts of the Empiie? ■ .. '-...' Colonel Seely.—Whatever ■ course has been adopted with regard to Canada in the matters referred to would be adopted under similar circumstances with regard to the / other self-governing Dominions. Then Mr. Cathcart AVason,-the ex-New Zealand farmer and M.P., who represents the distant Orkney and Shetlands Division, asked the Under-Secretary for legislation as to societies or persons responsible for tho admission to the British Dominions of those whom, they' induced to emigrate. /This was in view, of recent Canadian deportations. Colonel Seely could not see that legislation would be of any use. "Steps are taken," he said, "and every effort is made to prevent difficulties arising. Iu this case. an alteration was made in the arrangements, and tho notice was not sufficient to enable the railway companies and the emigration sooieties to take steps that, I am sure, would otherwise havo been, taken. The whole question is under consideration." . '.-'■'