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Uh Day.] Navigation Law. [2 June, 1911. Mr. PEARCE— cont. the New South Wales and Victoria Acts." It seemed to us that that was the most peculiar language to use. It implied first of all that, although the States could be trusted with these powers, we could not be trusted with them, and that it needed some undertaking from us that we would administer them in the same spirit as the States had done. The CHAIRMAN : I was not the Secretary of State then, but in effect it was giving way to the view of the Commonwealth. Mr. PEARCE : They were challenging us in legislating in the direction the States had been allowed to legislate in without challenge, although by our constitution we were given the powers which formerly rested in the States, and then they were requiring, if they consented to our legislation, that we would give an undertaking with regard to it. Mr. BUXTON : There are just two points—one which Mr. Brodeur raised, as I understood him, that the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 practically overrode a certain amount of Dominion legislation, and that under that Act they were prohibited from doing certain things, or that certain Acts had been invalidated in consequence of this Act- I can assure him that that is really not so. lam informed* that the 1894 Act was a Consolidation Act merely, and not only so, but that it preserved the validity of all action taken between 1867 and 1894; so that I think Mr. Brodeur in this respect really has misread the Act, which was not intended in any sense to override the existing Dominion Act; on the contrary, it was a Consolidation Act merely, and actually preserved the validity of all that was being done. Perhaps Mr. Brodeur would not mind looking at that. Mr. BRODEUR : Which section? Mr. BUXTON : I will be glad to see you afterwards about it. Mr. BRODEUR : I think it would have to come before His Majesty in Council to get approval of our Acts under the provisions of the Imperial Merchant Shipping Act, 1894. Mr. BUXTON : Perhaps Mr. Brodeur would kindly have a talk with me about it afterwards with the Acts before us. As regards Sir Joseph Ward's point of the difficulty or the delay in obtaining assent to the 1909 Act, perhaps he would not mind looking at the correspondence and telegrams which passed, and I think he will see that, although there was delay, it was not upon this side only. I think there was some delay on both sides. Sir JOSEPH WARD : T am not blaming you. Mr. BUXTON : I think it is a matter of regret that it should take so long, but I think really there was great delay on both sides. As regards the point he raised about Lascars, and so on, and the coasting trade, T think it would be more convenient if I did not give disjointed observations on that, because we are going to discuss it later on. The CHAIRMAN : Do we now pass this resolution as altered ? The resolution reads : " That it is desirable that the attention of the Governments of the United Kingdom and of the Dominions should drawn to the desirability of taking all practical steps to secure uniforroitv of treatment to British shipping, to prevent unfair competition with British ships by foreign subsidized ships, to secure to British ships eaual trading with foreign shins, to promote the employment of British seamen on British shins, and to raise the