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we could express in law what, in fact, has been our practice in its administration in this country. With regard to the second point of the Cape Attorney-General, namely, his reference to persons of non-European descent, in this country we have admitted extremely few persons of nonEuropean descent. It is a point, so far as v/e are concerned here, which is not at all serious; and I would like to remind the Conference that Natal, which has by law excluded non-Europeans from naturalization, has accepted the United Kingdom's certificates as valid. A point has been raised in the Cape Attorney-General's Memorandum with regard to the conditions prevailing in Crown Colonies in regard to this matter, and he says it is a vital consideration that Hong Kong, a Crown Colony, has no naturalization law, and that the Straits Settlements require no stated period of residence, so there is nothing to prevent a Chinaman landing there and at once getting his letters of naturalization, and if the recommendation of the Committee is adopted, that it shall suffice to declare intention to resiele within the Dominion, that Chinaman can at once proceed to South Africa, and can only be shut out by Act of Parliament. Of" course, that is a point that requires very serious consideration, but I would suggest with regard to it that the Order in Council under these circumstances would not be made, because the conditions locally would not be so satisfactory as the conditions which prevail in this country, which would be the test. The test really would be the conditions which prevail in this country, and not the conditions which might prevail in I long Kong or the Straits Settlements or any other Crown Colony. I would suggest to the Conference on this point, which is, as I quite understand of great importance in connection with this Draft Bill, that before an Order in Council is issued there would be ample opportunity to consult the Colonial Governments concerned, and through the machinery, which I am glad to say it is proposed to set up by the establishment of a Secretariat, we should be able to ascertain the views of the Colonial Governments concerned, as to whether the conditions of the certificate were sufficiently satisfactory. Ido not like to go into further details at this stage. We shall be glad to consider any suggestion. of detailed suggestions were made in the Cape Attorney-General's Memorandum, most of which have been dealt with and embodied in the draft Bill; so that it is proposed to assimilate those suggestions which are now the law in most Colonies with our own law. We recognise the force and justice of the claim of the Colonial Governments to deal with special difficulties which affect them in varying ways, and with which the Home Country is not directly concerned, or with which it is not desirable or possible for us to deal ourselves. I would venture to suggest that outstanding points, points for the most part of detail, but still of very important detail, should be left to be dealt with by a committee. Our chief desire is to make the Imperial Law as comprehensive and acceptable to the Empire as possible, and we seek, in short, willingagreement on a basis which will not interfere with the local necessities and the legitimate desires of all the individual Colonial Governments which are concerned in this question. I therefore would venture, Lord Elgin, to suggest that this Bill might be referred to a committee, so that its details may be thoroughly considered by representative men, and I would propose to move a resolution which runs thus : " That, with a view to attain uniformity, so " far as practicable, an inquiry should be held to consider further the " question of naturalization, and in particular to consider how far and "under what conditions naturalization in one part of His Majesty's Do- " minions should be effective in other parts of those Dominions, a subsidiary " Conference to be held if necessary under the terms of the resolution " adopted by this Conference on the 20th April last."

Sixth Day. 25 April 1907.

Naturalization. (Mr. Herbert Gladstone.)