§ MR. HAWEShad to make a very short statement to the House in consequence of some observations which had fallen the other night from the noble Lord the Member for Lynn, the drift of which was to accuse the noble Lord the Secretary of State for the Colonial Department of withholding a certain despatch from the Governor of one of the sugar colonies. He (Mr. Hawes) was examined before the West India Committee, he thought, on the 5th of May, and he then referred to a despatch from the Governor of Jamaica, which he informed the Committee would be furnished. The noble Lord had said that this despatch had been purposely withheld. 810 He had, therefore, thought it right to bring down the original despatch in his hand, with the minutes upon it and the dates, to which he should refer—and which would show, conclusively, that his noble Friend's intention was that the despatch should be immediately communicated to the Committee. The despatch arrived on the 27th of March. On the 27th of March he could state that it reached his hands, with a minute which was to the effect that—
This is a copy of the despatch for which the Committee on West India distress have asked. We had a copy of the document which was required in the Votes of the House of Assembly. It was to be sent to the Committee to-day. Would it not be better to send instead a copy of this despatch, which is important, with the report and evidence which we have got now for the first time? There are two copies. And so it is desirable to send it to-day.That reached his hands from the Secretary of State with the words—" I agree with you that this despatch ought to be given at the same time with the report and evidence to which it refers." He added, "I agree;" and on the 30th of March his noble Friend made a minute to this effect—" this may be laid before the Committee as suggested." As the noble Lord the Member for King's Lynn stated that the despatch had not been laid before the Committee, he had thought it necessary to make inquiry on the subject, to show that it was the intention of his noble Friend (Earl Grey) and himself that it should be communicated. He was told, on the 28th of March, that the enclosure of the despatch containing the report of the evidence taken by the Legislature of Jamaica, had been sent to the Committee. The despatch required some attention, to have his noble Friend's intentions carried into effect. When it was returned to the department, they omitted to act upon his instructions. It must be said in their defence that the mass of papers and pressure of business offered some apology for that omission; but what he was most anxious to state was, that here was a most decided intention manifested on the part of his noble Friend (Earl Grey) and himself to have that despatch communicated to the Committee. He thought that the House would be satisfied that he had set that point at rest. Allusion had been made, also, to papers moved for, before the House had adjourned. Those papers were not ready when the House adjourned; but he had laid them on the table on the day when the House met again. He could not have 811 done so earlier. In his evidence before the West India Committee, it was stated that certain despatches had arrived on the 3rd of January; but he had referred particularly to a despatch received on the 1st of February with respect to African emigration. He had apprehended that some delay had occurred; but on referring to the Votes he found that the papers in question were laid on the table on the 3rd of February, after the meeting of the House, and ordered to be printed on the 4th. He hoped he had succeeded in showing that there was no disposition to withhold any information of importance from the House.