A—s

52

Sir WILFRID LAURIER : I do not see any objection to Sir William Lyne sitting next to Mr. Deakin. [Another member of the Conference was understood to say that both Mr. Deakin and Sir W. Lyne could speak on any one subject.] Sir WILLIAM LYNE : I do not like to disturb anyone, but I do not wish to have a feeling without expressing it. FUTURE CONSTITUTION OF THE CONFERENCE. CHAIRMAN : May we proceed '( We came yesterday to the point at which a draft resolution was submitted by myself and at the request of the Conference it was circulated for consideration by the Prime Ministers before this meeting. It will be for the Conference to say whether they would desire to consider this in the same form as-we did yesterday, that is to say in the form of a general discussion, or whether they would now proceed to deal with it more in detail, that i« to say by the paragraphs into which it is divided. I may have myself one or two suggestions to make with regard to the different parts of it and I have no doubt other members will, but I might perhaps be permitted to say this much at the beginning that after the meeting I thought it desirable to inform the Prime Minister as to the views expressed by, I think I may say, all the members of the Conference, that it would be desirable that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom should be designated a member of the Conference, and I think it may be satisfactory to the Conference to know that my right honourable friend would not raise any objection to that course being taken if the Conference should think fit. If that was done I would venture to suggest —and I think it is better to mention it now, because it carries out the idea—that the wording might be a little altered in order to make that effective, and perhaps I might read the first paragraph. " That it will be to the advantage of the " Empire if Conferences to be called Imperial Conferences are held every " four or five years, at which questions of common interest affecting the " relations of the Mother Country and His Majesty's Dominions over the " seas may be discussed and considered as between His Majesty's Govern- " ment and the Governments of the self-governing Colonies. The Prime " Minister of the United Kingdom will be ex officio President, and the Prime " Ministers of the self-governing Colonies ex officio members of the Con- " ference. The Secretary of State for the Colonies will be an ex officio " member of the Conference, and will take the chair in the absence of the " President, and will arrange for such Imperial Conferences after com- " munication with the Prime Ministers of the respective Colonies." That would give practical effect to the suggestion. Sir JOSEPH WARD : Lord Elgin, would there be any objection to commence this Resolution by affirming the desirability of establishing a permanent Imperial Conference ? My own view, looking forw r ard to the work of regular Conferences, is that we should at this Conference give an affirmative expression to the establishment of a permanent Imperial Conference, and if you would agree (it is on the lines really of what is proposed in the Resolution) I would suggest that we should commence it by stating that " in the interests of the Empire it is desirable to establish a permanent Imperial Conference." CHAIRMAN : What is the meaning of the word " permanent" ? Sir JOSEPH WARD : The meaning of the word " permanent" is to affirm permanent Conferences at regular periods. There is no constitution

Third Day. 18 April 1907.

Future Constitution of the Conference.