72

A.—s

Third Day. IS April 1907.

not interpreted as they would be if they had been expressed by representative members of the House of Commons, who, speaking on behalf of their fellowmembers, give utterance to what they believe to be the wishes of their electorate. It is that kind of treatment we mean. I hope lam not to be tempted to justify myself, or to attempt to justify myself, by giving illustrations of this kind of treatment. There may be an appropriate time for them, but I doubt if it is just now. The complaint we have to make is of an attitude of mind. A certain impenetrability; a certain remoteness, perhaps geographically justified: a certain weariness of people much pressed with affairs, and greatly overburdened, whose natural desire is to say " Kindly postpone this; "do not press that, do not trouble us; what does it matter '. we have enough "to do already; you are a self-governing community, why not manage to "carry on without worrying us \ " Hoping I have removed any wrong impression, and if I have removed misapprehension, may I say that your reply, Lord Elgin, amounts to a non possumvs— not that "We will not " but "We cannot." The Prime Minister cannot see his way to accept the responsibilities which we were daring enough to suggest for him, and you cannot consider it further. In this case too I, for one, do not —and doubt if my friends will—question your right to make that reply. But, there again, I question the applicability of the argument which you urge. You say no Government is to be dictated to as to how it shall do its business. Quite true. It must allot that business as it pleases. Quite true. It will direct it as it pleases. Quite true. No one suggested anything else; but what we did suggest was that our business, so far as it can be distinguished from yours, should be recognised as our business even to the extent of being paid for by us and discharged by a staff which should, through your Prime Minister, be responsible to our Prime Ministers, and to us. We proposed to you a new thing—not any interference with your present departments. We have no right to interfere, as you properly said, with your department, or its divisions, or its methods. I quite agree. What we have suggested is a new department altogether, with your Prime Minister at its head, but a responsibility somewhat different in its origin, as he would be acting not merely as Prime Minister of Great Britain, but also acting for all the other Prime Ministers of the Empire. We are prepared to contribute to the cost of such a department and to pay for the officers that they employ in order to have our business done. Therefore, though you would be perfectly right in so replying to any one who did claim to interfere with your business, surely we were not trespassing when we suggested something which is our business as well as yours, and which is to be at our joint cost and responsibility; and I think on that we were quite entitled to be heard. CHAIRMAN : Certainly, and I have heard you. Mr. DEAKIN : Yes, but while not disputing your right to reply, I do not think it applies, because our proposition was not to trench upon your department or present office, but that we should have a voice in and share the cost of a new department, which would be in a sense a joint department, though under the ministerial direction of the Prime Minister of England. I hope I have removed any misapprehension on that point. CHAIRMAN : I do not quite accept the whole of your argument Mr. DEAKIN : You will also agree that we have not to accept the applicability of your reply, which, though reasonable enough in its terms, is inapplicable, because we are not making, and have not made, any such request as that which you have felt bound to decline as if it had been made.

Future ITUTION of the CoNIKKENCE. (Mr. Deakin.)