A.--5

446

Mr. DEAKIN : But if we can agree at once that there shall be such a fund and fix its amount that would be a first step to Imperial co-operation. The existence of that fund would make it imperative that there should be from time to time consultations of a business character as to how that fund should be applied, and how the respective portions contributed by each shall be arranged. It would have to be absolutely under the control of the Legislatures, but there would be a fund and full consideration from time to time as to how it could be most fruitfully applied. The Legislatures would have to be satisfied as to its application in each instance. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : I understand you do not move it this morning ? Mr. DEAKIN : No. Dr. JAMESON : I think this is an attempt on Mr. Deakin's part to found a fund for the schemes which the President of the Board of Trade suggested. Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : To found a fund at our expense. Dr. JAMESON : Not all at your expense. Up to now, the indication has been that it was to come entirely from Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : We should contribute at least 52. net for every 12. the Colonies in the aggregate would contribute. Perhaps that is too high; but two or three to one at least. Mr. DEAKIN : We are over 12,000,000 people and you 43,000,000 people —between three and four times as much. CHAIRMAN : May we proceed now to the other business ? COASTWISE TRADE. Mr. DEAKIN : With reference to this resolution, as to coastwise trade, I had expected my colleague would be here in time to deal with this. The matter which is embodied in this resolution was fully considered on a number of occasions by the Conference of 1902. We have now before us its resolution, which asks the attention of the Government to the state of the navigation laws in the Empire and the advisability of revising the privileges as to coastwise trade, including trade between the Mother Country and its Colonies and Possessions, and between one Colony or Possession and another, to countries in which the corresponding trade is confined to ships of their own nationality. It was upon the motion of the late Mr. Seddon, representing New Zealand, that this question was given such prominence to. This same resolution was passed in 1902. Mr. LLOYD GEORGE : Do you recollect what the Imperial Government did then ? Mr. DEAKIN : They allowed the resolution to be passed without any objection whatever. It was brought forward by Mr. Seddon, from whose speech I take a quotation of an utterance of Senator West, in the United States Congress, when he said : "We can exclude foreign ships from our "coastwise trade, and no foreign nation can complain; and, of course, with

Thirteenth Day, 8 May 1907.

Imperial Surtax on Foreign Imports.

Coastwise Trade.