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to define any very distinct principle on whichit is organised. The work generally, however, is divided into four Departments under the four assistant Under-Secretaries of State, above them standing the permanent Under-Secretary as the head of the Office, and a link between them andthe Secretary of State. [ hope that will be sufficient in order to make the change we now propose to introduce intelligible to your Lordships. What we propose to do is to divide the office into three Departments instead of into four, The firts of these Departments we propose to term the Dominions Department. It will deal exclusively or practically so with the self-governing Dominions beyond the seas. The only work outside the business of those, Dominions would be that originating in certain Protectorates or Possessions which are geographically or otherwise connected with the Dominions. Î may mention as instances in point, at this present moment, the Protectorates in South Africa under the charge of the High Commissioner, and the islands of the Pacific. The other Departments do not, of course, come directly under the question of the noble Lord, and so I shall not deal with them in any detail, but Î may mention that we propose to term the second Department the Colonial Department. It will, of course, deal with the Crown Colonies, and it will be a very heavy Department on account of the immense amount of administrative work and control involved in the management of the many Crown Colonies and Possessions of the Crown, and the ever-increasing importance and value

that attaches to them. The third Department will be called

the General Department. It will deal with the legal, financial, and other general business of the Office, and I may mention that under this Department we propose to establish a new feature in the shape of certain Standing Commitiees to take a collective view of such matters as contracts, concessions, mineral and other leases which come to us from all parts of the world, and also the matter of patronage, which is one of considerable importance and delicac y in the Colonial Office. This is the arrangement of the business of the Office which we propose to introduce, stated in general terms. I shall not trouble the House with any details, but I will just simply say, to prevent any misunderstanding, that we are not dealing only with the superior officers, but we are working out a reorganisation throughout with all the necessary divisions and sub-divisions.

I proceed to the other branch of the subject, which is the personnel, and I propose to place at the head of the Dominions Department the senior assistant Under-Secretary of State. Mr. Lucas is a gentleman of very high academical and literary distinction, who has managed, even amongst the preoccupations of his official duties, to find time for works of merit on Colonial and especially on Canadian history. He has had a long experience of Colonial administration and his attractive and sympathetic personality has made him many friends in every quater. I am certain that the task of recommending this new Department to our brethren beyond the seas can safely be entrusted to him. Second to this

appointment and probably one which will attract even more