§ SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will explain the ground on which it is thought necessary to remove doubt as to the Commonwealth of Australia being included in the British Colonies covered by The Companies (Colonial Registers) Act, 1883, and not thought necessary to deal in the same way with the Dominion of Canada.
(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) The doubt raised by the Commonwealth of Australia was due to the special form of constitution conferred upon that country by the Act of 1900. In view of the fact that the federal constitution of Canada differs from that of Australia, and of the fact that Canada has not raised any doubt or asked for any amendment of the law, that country was not included in the Bill to amend the Companies Acts now before Parliament, and before any amendment of the Bill in this respect could be adopted the Government of Canada would have to be consulted.