The Motherland and the Colonies.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10972, 11 June 1903, Page 5

The Motherland and the Colonies.

LONDON," June 10. . The Right Hon. R. B. Haldane,.member of^, the House-/ of .Commons for Heddingtdnshire, in- the .course of. a .paper read before the Colonial Institute, declared that /if the colonies- contributed more largely they would have an indisputable claim to representation, on, the Imperial Committee of Defence. He advocated the formation of another committee of advice on Imperial affairs,, consisting of the Prime Minister, . the Secretaries of the Foreign and Colonial Offices, and o#rtain Privy Councillors) nominated, by the Sovereign at the request of the Colonial and Home Ministers, members to have the right to speak in ..the House of Lords. ,The King would thus, have two Cabinets-, one purely Imperial and another British, remaining in form, one body, though differently constituted,, on different occasions. An. Imperial Cpuft, of Appeal, - absorbing tft'e appellate functions of-' the House >of Lords and the /Privy Council,, was highly desirable. He ..feared Mr Chamberlain's vfißc*tiv fiBc*ti w p6licy would. endanger the unity of the Empire. It > was .better, that the cqlonioß and the MofcjUer Land, should eavsK-liave liberty to -take : their,, .own,, course. Grants in. aid of the colonies. would be safer and cheaper than the proposed fiscal, change. ,