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.
