IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14708, 16 June 1911, Page 5

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

NATURALISATION QUESTION.

UNIFORMITY OF LAWS.

DEPORTED ALIENS.

By Telegraph.— Prc»s Association.—Copyright.

London', June 14. Discussing the question of naturalisation at the Imperial Conference, Mr. Churchill (Home Secretary) said that uniformity was important, and would be of great advantage if it could remedy present inconveniences. Any system must be based on the assent of the local Parliaments. The draft of the Bill must not be regarded as final or perfect, but simply as a peg on which to hang discussion. Each Dominion must judge its own conditions under the certificates granted.

If effect were to be given to the wishes expressed they must face two standards of naturalisation —local and Imperial. Britain could not depart from the five years' qualifying period. He suggested that any person obtaining a Dominion certificate could apply for an Imperial certificate, and it would thus be possible to allow existing diversities to continue. It would be competent for the Dominions to legislate to prevent the Imperial certificate issuing where naturalisation had been refused in a particular Dominion. He suggested, firstly, that Imperial nationality should be world-wide and uniform, each Dominion remaining free to grant local certificates on its own lines ; secondly, the Mother Country found it necessary to maintain the five years' qualifying period, but five years anywhere in the Empire should be equivalent to that period- in the United Kingdom; thirdly, the granting of Imperial nationality in every case to be discretionary, this discretion to be exercised by those responsible in the area where the applicant spent the last 12 months ; fourthly, the Imperial Act should be so framed as to enable the Dominions to adopt it • and fifthly, nothing now proposed shall affect the validity and effectiveness of local laws regulating immigration or differentiating between classes of British subjects.

Dr. Findlay said some needless duplication in regard to local and Imperial .applications might be avoided by tan Imperial statute, when it would be open for the Dominions to adopt it or not. Mr. Batchelor said Mr. Churchill's suggestion overcame most of the difficulties. Mr. Churchill put his suggestions into the form of a resolution, and it was carried. Sir Joseph Ward's motion in favour of uniform laws for accidents and compensation was adopted. . Mr. , Churchill moved that where aliens are. deported from any Dominion to another it is desirable that some system be devised whereby the Governments concerned can effectively co-operate in measures for the final disposition of such aliens. This - was adopted. The Conference, agreed that the King's Birthday should be celebrated throughout the Empire on June 3. It discussed the question of Empire Day, but no decision was reached. The Conference has adjourned until Thursday.