A.—4

56

2nd Day.] Imperial Council. [25 May, 1911. Sir JOSEPH WAED : I prefer to call it a Parliament of Defence. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : Very well. The PRESIDENT : That is a very different proposition to the one in your resolution. Your resolution is "An Imperial Council of State " —nothing about defence-—"advisory to the Imperial Government." It is limited, as I understand the resolution, to giving advice. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : When it is started it is to be a Parliament; who is going to elect that Parliament ? Sir JOSEPH WARD : I will presently explain it. The PRESIDENT : All I say is that that is not the resolution in any of those particulars. Sir JOSEPH WARD : I would point out that the resolution is " with representatives from all the self-governing parts of the Empire." Sir WILFRID LAURIER : But you say " Council." Is it a Council, or is it a Parliament ? It is important we should know exactly what is the proposal. Sir JOSEPH WARD • I prefer to call it a Parliament. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : Very good, then; now we understand what you mean. Sir JOSEPH WARD : I prefer to call it a Parliament, although I admit there is a good deal in the name. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : There is everything in the name. Mr. FISHER : Would it not be as well to amend your resolution on those lines ? Sir JOSEPH WARD : No, Ido not propose to amend it; if it is necessary afterwards I should have no objection. Sir WILFRID LAURIER : You propose a Council in your resolution, but you advocate a Parliament. Sir JOSEPH WARD : You can call it a Council if you like. The PRESIDENT : We want to know what you call it. Sir JOSEPH WARD : It is a Parliament of Defence that I am suggesting. I have no objection to its being called by any suitable name. I think perhaps at this juncture I will state my proposal—and then later on I will deal with one or two of the matters I was going to refer to just now. I indicated in my opening remarks on Tuesday that I would ask the Conference to deal with Imperial unity; organized Imperial Defence; equitable distribution of the burdens of defence throughout the Empire; representation of self-governing oversea Dominions in an Imperial Parliament of Defence for the purpose of determining peace or war; contributions to Imperial Defence; foreign policy so far as it affects the Empire; International treaties so far as they affect the Empire; and such other Imperial matters as may by agree-