1907 Imperial Conference Explained

Summit Name:1907 Imperial Conference
Country: United Kingdom
Dates: -
Cities:London
Heads Of State:7
Chairperson:Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
(Prime Minister)
Precedes:1911
Keypoints:Dominion status, co-ordination of Imperial defence, Irish Home Rule, self-government for India, Imperial preference

The 1907 Imperial Conference was convened in London on 15 April 1907 and concluded on 14 May 1907. During the sessions a resolution was passed renaming this and future meetings Imperial Conferences. The chairman of the conference was British prime minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

The conference decided to cease referring to self-governing British colonies as colonies and conferred upon them dominion status. Canada and Australia were referred to as dominions in the conference's statements while Newfoundland Colony and the Colony of New Zealand were granted dominion status by royal proclamation on 26 September. Natal and Cape Colony would unite with the two Boer colonies of Orange River Colony and Transvaal Colony, which had been given self-government in 1907, to form the Union of South Africa as a dominion in 1910.

The possibilities of Irish Home Rule and self-governance for India were also discussed. Imperial preference was raised but rejected by the British prime minister due to British support for free trade.[1]

Participants

The conference was hosted by King-Emperor Edward VII, with his prime ministers and members of their respective cabinets:[2]

NationNamePortfolio
United KingdomSir Henry Campbell-BannermanPrime Minister (chairman)
Lord ElginSecretary of State for the Colonies
Sir Edward GreyForeign Secretary
Lord TweedmouthFirst Lord of the Admiralty
R. B. HaldaneSecretary of State for War
H. H. AsquithChancellor of the Exchequer
David Lloyd GeorgePresident of the Board of Trade
Postmaster General of the United Kingdom
Lord LorebrunLord Chancellor
President of the Local Government Board
Secretary of State for India
Lord President of the Council
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
AustraliaAlfred DeakinPrime Minister
Sir William LyneMinister for Trade and Customs
Sir Wilfrid LaurierPrime Minister
Sir Frederick William BordenMinister of Militia and Defence
Louis-Philippe BrodeurMinister of Marine and Fisheries
Cape ColonyLeander Starr JamesonPrime Minister
Thomas SmarttCommissioner of Works
NatalFrederick Robert MoorPrime Minister
TransvaalLouis BothaPremier
Sir Richard SolomonAgent-General
Newfoundland ColonySir Robert BondPrime Minister
Colony of New ZealandSir Joseph WardPrime Minister

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: James Stuart . Olson . Robert . Shadle . [{{google books|L-X-XYB_ZkIC|page=548|plainurl=yes}} Historical Dictionary of the British Empire: A-J ]. 1996 . Greenwood Publishing . London . 548 . 0-3132-9366-X .
  2. Book: Jebb, Richard . The Imperial Conference: A History and Study . II . Longmans, Green & Co . London . 1911.