§ Constitution and Proceedings of the Board of Governors.
§ (1) The Board of Governors shall consist of the responsible Minister (who shall be President) and the following other governors:—
- One appointed by the Government of the Dominion of Canada;
- One appointed by the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia;
- One appointed by the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand;
- One appointed by the Government of the Union of South Africa;
- One appointed by the Government of the Irish Free State;
- One appointed by the Government of Newfoundland;
- One appointed by the Government of India;
- One appointed by the Treasury:
- Two one of whom shall be in respect of mines appointed by the Board of Trade;
- One appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies;
- One appointed by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries;
- One appointed by the responsible Minister;
- One representative of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research appointed by the Lord President of the Council;
§ EARL BUXTON had on the Paper an Amendment to leave out "one" ["appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies"] and to insert "two.'' The noble Earl said: My object is merely that the Crown Colonies and 89 Dependencies should have representation. They seem to be altogether ignored, though they contribute a considerable amount towards the upkeep of the Institute. My noble friend has been good enough to consider the matter with me, and the Amendment he has on the Paper goes a little further than mine. Therefore, I do not propose to move, but I will see what is the effect of the Amendment which he proposes.
§ LORD ARNOLD moved to leave out "one" ["appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies"] and to insert "three." The noble Lord said: I had hoped, and still am hopeful, that the Government have met the views of the noble Earl so far as his first Amendment is concerned. The Government proposes to go further than he would have gone, and the effect will be that on the governing body, instead of there being one representative appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, there will be three. The noble Earl, in view of his distinguished record, has a special interest in our African colonies, and, although it would not be set down in the Bill, I think it would almost certainly come about that one of the additional representatives would be a gentleman who was intimately acquainted with the affairs and interests of our Possessions in tropical Africa.
§ I should hope that the noble Earl would not, on consideration, find it necessary to proceed along the lines of his last Amendment, which appears on the Paper (proposing four representatives of Crown Colonies and Protectorates), because, were he to do that, it would really be making a very drastic change in the position of the governing body. If your Lordships look closely at the details of this Schedule you will see that, whereas there were to be ten representatives of scientific and commercial interests, that number is in a sense cut down to six owing to the subsequent provisions. The new governing body is composed on rather different lines from those which prevailed in the past. The Council, in the past, was to some extent constructed on a geographical basis, and this possessed certain advantages, but it is thought for various reasons that the arrangement was not altogether successful, and, having regard to what passed at the Conference last autumn, I very 90 much hope that the remainder of the Schedule, as it is in the Bill at present, may be allowed to remain, because that will permit the recommendation for the Council of men selected on the basis of scientific, technical, and commercial knowledge, with a view to helping the work of the Institute. I think there is very good reason to suppose that one or more of those representatives would meet the purposes which the noble Earl has in view. Taking all these facts into consideration my hope is that when we reach the Report stage he will allow the Bill to pass as now proposed— that is, that the one representative shall be three and that the remainder of the Schedule shall stand as it is now.
§
Amendment moved—
Page 7, line 21, leave out ("one") and insert ("three ").—(Lord Arnold.)
§ EARL BUXTONI am obliged to the noble Lord. I assure him that I will give the matter my serious consideration.
THE LORD CHAIRMANI under stand that the noble Earl, Lord Buxton, does not move the remaining Amendments which stand in his name.
§ EARL BUXTONThat is so.
§ Second Schedule, as amended, agreed to
§ LORD ARNOLDMy Lords, I am proposing, and I hope it will be agreeable to your Lordships, to put the Report stage down for Monday next. I think that will give sufficient time. The Bill is rather urgently required.
§ [From Minutes of June 30.]
§ The Lord Trevor—Sat first in Parliament after the death of his kinsman.