A—s

538

stay for the necessary five years in this country. Those are details which, I suggest, could best be dealt with in the subsequent inquiry which is proposed in the resolution read by Lord Elgin. In paragraph (4), which has been read, it is stated : " It has been " suggested that the Imperial Act relating to the naturalization of aliens " should be so amended as to apply to every portion of His Majesty's " Dominions. The objection to this suggestion is that it is not desirable that " legislation should be imposed on a self-governing Colony except by the " Parliament of such Colony." Our object is to have a general law for the whole Empire as far as is possible. May I remind the Conference that a phrase I used in making my statement runs thus, showing at any rate what is our wish and intention : " Our chief desire is to make the Imperial law as " comprehensive and acceptable to the Empire as possible, and we seek in " short, willing agreement on a basis which will not interfere with local " interests, and legitimate desires of all the individual Colonial Governments " which are concerned in this question " In another place I said we desired the Bill to include as much common ground as possible to meet the general convenience of all parts of the Empire. This suggestion now made is rather an argument against any Bill at all. If that is so, we should be rather wasting time in this Conference. But I suggest that though this is a very important matter, it is in the nature of a detail, though a very important detail, on which, perhaps, the whole Bill would depend, and I think it could be met by discussion so that the view which I expressed and have quoted could be carried into effect—that the local interests of a particular Colony could be considered and regarded in any Bill which was passed. Sir WILLIAM LYNE : Was not there a suggestion that only certain parts should be applied to the Colony by proclamation 1 Mr. GLADSTONE : By Order in Council. Sir WILLIAM LYNE : That would do away with any trouble with regard to a general Bill. Mr. GLADSTONE : Of course, conditions coulc} be attached to an Order in Council so far as to meet General Botha's Memorandum. General BOTHA : If you will read No. 5 you will find No. 5 provides how to overcome the difficulty in No. 4. Sir JOSEPH WARD : May I be allowed to put the position of New Zealand so that Mr. Gladstone may have the situation in view all round. As far as New Zealand is concerned I want to make it clear, without offence to any other race in any respect whatever, that New Zealand is a white man's country, and intends to remain a white man's country; we intend to keep our country for white men by every effort in our power. If there is anything in this proposal and I am just afraid there is, that would bring about a position that in years to come some members of an alien coloured race who had resided in England for a period of upwards of five years, and had obtained a naturalization certificate would be entitled, if this Bill became of general application to the Colonies, to letters of naturalization of the Empire, which would entitle them to come into our Colony as naturalized subjects. Speaking for New Zealand we would strongly oppose it on national grounds peculiar to our local circumstances. Mr. GLADSTONE : Could not you meet it with the immigration law \

Fourteenth Day. 0 May 1907.

Naturalization. (Mr. Gladstone.)