crap. 1] THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 797
regarding the arrest of deserters from merchant vessels. The
Governor-General was requested by the Secretary of State
for the Colonies to inquire into the matter and to report
the result! The Commonwealth Government asked the
Government of South Australia for a report, but that
Government replied that the constitutional means of obtain-
ing information on the matter was through the Governor of
South Australia, and that the Commonwealth Government
had no jurisdiction as to the conduct of South Australian
officials. The officer administering the Government of
South Australia reported the position by telegraph on
September 18, 1902,2 to the Secretary of State, who at once
asked the South Australian Government for the information
desired with regard to the action of the officials in question,
and for an expression of the opinion of the Government as
to the channel of communication in matters affecting
external affairs and the position of Consuls. On the other
hand, the Government of the Commonwealth were of opinion
that the case fell within the provisions of the constitution as
affecting firstly external affairs; secondly, trade and com-
merce with foreign states ; thirdly, navigation and shipping.
They considered that the consular representative at Adelaide
should have approached them and not the South Australian
Government, and they suggested that consular representa-
tives should be advised to come to the Governor-General
direct in future through the Consul-General® They also
proposed to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the
incident. The Secretary of State, however, deprecated the
proposal of a Royal Commission, and suggested that the
matter should be fully discussed before any action with
regard to the Consuls was taken. A full statement was
accordingly received from the Acting-Governor of South
Australia, expressing the views of ministers on the subject.’
The South Australian Government conceded that with regard
to all matters connected with departments of Government
! See Parl. Pap., Cd. 1587. There is an able criticism in Harrison
Moore, op. cit., pp. 348 seq. * Ibid, p. 1.
} Thid., p. 2. ¢ Ibid. ¢ Ibid., pp. 7 seq.
