SHAP. II] IMPERIAL CO-OPERATION 1475
$ 5. THE PROPOSALS FOR AN IMPERIAL CouxoiL
In a dispatch of April 20, 1905! Mr. Lyttelton made
certain proposals to the Governors of the self-governing
Colonies. He summarized in that dispatch the history of
previous Imperial Conferences, and suggested that it would be
desirable to discard the title of ¢ Colonial Conferences * and to
speak of the meetings as meetings of the ‘ Imperial Council ’.
It was suggested that His Majesty's Government should
be represented at these meetings by the Secretary of State
for the Colonies. India, whenever her interests required it,
would also be represented. The other members of the
Council would be the Prime Ministers of the Colonies repre-
sented at the Conference of 1902, or, if any Prime Ministers
should be unable to attend, representatives appointed for
that purpose by their Governments. These persons would
sonstitute the permanent body of the Imperial Council, but,
as in 1902, their consultations could be assisted when
necessary for special purposes by other ministers belonging
sither to the Imperial or to the Colonial Governments.
They did not desire to give the Council by any instrument
a more formal character, to define its constitution more
closely, or to attempt to delimit its functions. History
showed that such an institution might be wisely left to
develop in accordance with the circumstances, and as it were
of its own accord, and it was well not to sacrifice elasticity of
power of adaptation to premature definiteness of form.
Tt was also suggested that matters should be prepared in
advance for the meeting of the Conference by a body on which
all the Prime Ministers of the Colonies should be represented.
In questions of defence this work was already done by the
Imperial Defence Committee, on which also His Majesty's
Government desired to obtain from time to time the presence
of Colonial representatives, and it was proposed to establish
a similar body to deal with matters of a civil character. Such
a body would also be useful, as the Imperial Council could
refer questions to it for subsequent examination and report.
U Parl. Pap., Cd. 2785. Cf. Ewart, Kingdom of Canada, pp. 217-24.
