1494 IMPERIAL UNITY [PART VIII
would be shown, and the expression of opinion by the
Legislature would have more weight with the Imperial
Government and the other Dominion Governments than if
it were merely the opinion of the New Zealand Cabinet.
Supposing the question of an Imperial Council arose, had the
Prime Minister any idea of what the opinion of the Parliament
would be or what the opinion of the country would be ?
Unless the matter were discussed in the Parliament it would
be impossible for the Prime Minister to have any certainty
that he was representing the wishes of the people or even
that he was representing the wishes of the Parliament. He
thought that with regard to Imperial relations things were
drifting, and that though matters were satisfactory at
present there might be danger if in the future Ministries
at home were more indifferent than they were at present
to Imperial considerations. He thought that the Prime
Minister ought to be in a position to recommend a scheme for
closer relations, as he had inherited the Imperial policy of
Mr. Seddon, and a discussion of the whole question in Parlia-
ment would be of great educative value. He thought that
the Prime Ministers of the Dominions should form a sort of
Imperial Cabinet and be consulted on all questions of Imperial
import. That would be a good substitute for an Imperial
Council, and the Premiers could be consulted by telegraph.
He did not believe in a representative body sitting in London,
because by the time the delegates got there they might
not be representative. He wished to know whether the
Dominions since they had been Dominions were consulted in
any way with regard to Imperial politics as distinct from
English, Irish, or Scotch politics. If New Zealand paid a
certain amount to the upkeep of the fleet they ought to
have a voice in the distribution of the fleet and in deciding
the question of peace or war. He did not know whether
enough was now being paid to make it a live subject, but
supposing contributions were increased, the question must
and would arise as to what say the Colonies which contri-
buted were to have in the question of the fleet or the question
of the army, Then again there was the question which he
