A DELICATE MATTER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11452, 28 February 1931, Page 5

A DELICATE MATTER

AUSTRALIA’S NEW GOVERNORGENERALSHIP. HOW WILL. BRITAIN BE REPRESENTED OVERSEAS? QUESTION IN THE LORDS. CU.P.A by Elec. Tel. copyrlebO (Received Feb. 27, 7.40 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 20. In the House of Lord Lord Denman asked if the Government proposed to appoint; an accredited representative in Australia, as had been done in Canada and South Africa. Lord Niovar sajd he failed to, see how a High Commissioner could carry out the duties until recently performed by the Governor-General. Lord Passfield replied that this was a matter of some delicacy and it was difficult to speak plainly without liability at a distance of being misunderstood. The present Government had not participated in establishing', the guiding principle which led to the change in the manner of the appointment of the Governor-General. Any question of the propriety of the action of the Commonwealth Government in appointing the GovernorGeneral was a matter for thcmseU*s_ not for the British Government. The policy of the present Government and of previous Governments was to go slowly and let the constitutional practice work out itself. The Government must proceed with the concurrence and the cordiali+y of the Commonwealth Government. Ho did not know whether a High Commissioner to Australia would fill _ the bill. This was a matter for consideration. “The British constitution is not logical,” he said. “There are things that ought to be put right bit by hit. Sometimes it is better not i/3 be over logical. Certainly this was not the practice in 1926. New Zealand had not sought any change and as long as she was contented with the older system, there was no reason why the Government should insist on an alteration out of a desire for logical uniformity,” The Government, he said, recognised the importance of not forcing the pace, and must be guided, if not governed, by the conclusions of tlie Imperial Conference of 1930. Legislation would not be introduced without the express assent of the Dominion Parliaments. The debate then ended.