1132 ADMINISTRATION AND LEGISLATION [PART Vv 
alike, and compensation was paid to the victims of the riots 
in question. 
It results from their position as parts of the Empire that 
the Dominions have no status as international entities. 
Accordingly no ministers are accredited to them, and the 
Consular officers who are accredited to the Governments are 
not invested with any diplomatic status as a general rule, 
though no doubt in particular cases, as in the case of the 
agreements in 1910 made by Canada with the German 
Consul-General and the Royal Consul for Italy with regard to 
trade matters, the Consuls are for the time being permitted 
to hold a position which is semi-diplomatic, though not 
completely so. But Consuls are entitled in the Dominions 
to no diplomatic privileges, though they receive certain 
courtesies,! mainly in the shape of the exemption from 
customs duties for stores for their official use, in cases where 
the Consul is not a British subject engaged in trade in the 
Dominion. It is provided also by the Colonial regulations 
that communications from the Governor to a foreign Consul 
or Consul-General should be signed, in the case of a Colony 
having responsible government, by the Governor’s Private 
Secretary. 
In some minor matters a certain degree of independent 
recognition is ascribed to the Dominions. Thus in postal 
matters the Dominions are represented at postal conferences 
and have votes like the Imperial Government itself, and the 
same remark applies to the Radio-Telegraphic Convention.? 
Under that convention it is probable His Majesty’s Govern- 
ment will obtain at conferences the same number of votes 
as is accorded to the British Empire under the Postal Union 
Convention of Rome, namely six. 
! Lord Dudley refused to accord Consuls in Australia the private entrée 
(Daily Telegraph, October 5, 1908), and the same rule has been adopted 
in South Africa; for Canada, see House of Commons Debates, 1909-10, 
pp. 853-5; 1910-11, pp. 973-80. The consent of a Government is always 
asked for the appointment of a Consul; see e.g. the case of Chinese 
Consuls in New Zealand, Parl. Pap., 1908, A. 1, pp. 3, 4. 
* New Zealand Parl. Pap., 1908, A. 1, pp. 3,4. On such matters direct 
correspondence with foreign Governments is allowed, e.g. New Zealand 
Parl, Pap., 1910, F. 7.