§ MR. HENRY H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether it is the intention of the Government to proceed in this Session with the Western Australia Constitution Bill?
§ * MR. W. H. SMITHThe Bill is one of great importance to the Colony, inasmuch as it involves a change from Representative to Responsible Government. Her Majesty's Government were very anxious that the Bill should have become law this Session, and they regret that it was not possible to bring the Bill forward at an earlier date. If the state of business later on permits, the Government would be very glad if the House would allow at least the second reading of the Bill, so as to affirm the principle of the Constitutional change, although at this period of the Session it would not be possible to take any further stage of the Bill.