The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 40
[ 40 � It was decided in the Imperial Conference held in 1911 that British Policy in respect of Dominions will in future be, that they will enjoy complete independence in local administration without any limitation, and Great ·Britain will not inter£ere unless a Dominion has done something prejudicial to its loyal relations with. the Im perial Government ( vide Law of Constitution). But in this interval fresh developments have taken place and Dominions have been givea further priYileges. Though formally Great Britain still possesses the right to veto any law passed by a Dominion, this privilege has been practically surrendered. In f 920, the Queensland Gov ernment passed a certain law against which the local land holders as well as the British landholders registered their protests, declaring the law to be a transgression of the law of the constitution involving their forced ejection from lands by the Government. The British Govern ment, however, refused to interven. e, as it could not interfere in the internal affairs of the Dominions. In one thing alone Dominions entirely depend upon Great Britain and that is territorial expansion. Regarding foreign relations also, since the Creat War, the Dominions have achieved a good dea1 of free dom and subject to Great Britain's sanction. A Dominion can make treaties with other countries. In the Anglo Irish treaty of 1924, Great Britain recognised the right of the Dominions to remain neutral in any war that Britain might declare against any other people, their obligation to join being confined only to cases when another nat�on 'had initiated the offensive. In the former case the Domi nion Parliaments would have the right to decide whether to take an active part in the war or to keep aloof. With regard to treaties also it was mutually agreed that jf the Dominions were not consulted in respect of any treaty with a foreign nation and they were not signatories to the