DOMINION LEGISLATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3961, 11 February 1930, Page 27

DOMINION LEGISLATION

REPORT OF COMMITTEE. A LENGTHY DOCUMENT. RIGBY, February 4. The report is .now published of the committee of dominion representatives which sat in London in October and November to consider questions connected with the operation of dominion legislation and merchant shipping legislation in the light of the declaration of the 1926 Imperial Conference, which attempted to define the mutual relationships of Great Britain and the selfgoverning dominions by stating the conditions which in practice existed. The conference declared that various autonomous communities of the Empire were equal in status, and referred to the expert committee which has now reported certain existing administrative, legislative, and judicial forms not wholly in accord with this definition.

'lhe principal recommendations of the report, which is a lengthy document, ara —First, the Parliament of the United Kingdom should pass legislation to establish that the power of disallowance of dominion legislation, which has not been exercised since 1573, is no longer claimed; that the Governor-General cannot be instructed to refuse assent, and that the dominions should at their discretion be free to abolish his power of leseivation. Second, that dominion legislation should have full extraterritorial operation. Third, that the Colonial Laws \ alidity Act, 1865. be superseded by an Act declaring the full powers of dominion Parliaments. Fourth, that all doubt be removed as to the full and complete power of any dominion Parliament to make legislation regarding merchant shipping, with full power over all ships in its own territorial waters and over its own registered ships. In this regard it is added that there was a strong presumption in favour of concerted action between members of the British Commonwealth in shipping matters, but this concerted action must from its nature result from a voluntary agreement by members of the Commonwealth.