MR. ALDERMAN W. LAWRENCE (for Sir JAMES LAWRENCE)asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, At what period of the year 1869 the Government came to the decision that no obligation rested on the Imperial Go- 1559 vernment to send out free emigrants to I Western Australia; if he is aware that on 5th July 1869, Mr. Monsell, then Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, stated in the House of Commons that the Government had undertaken to send out a free emigrant for every convict received by that Colony, and that although the Legislative Council of Western Australia were of opinion that the number of free emigrants still to be sent out at the expense of this Country to exceed 3,000, he considered only about 1,800 to be due; and, if he will have any objection to the production of Copies of all Correspondence upon the subject with the Governor of Western Australia?
§ MR. COURTNEYI find that Lord Emly did not speak of the undertaking to send out free emigrants as absolute—it was subject to certain conditions; and the 1,800 probably due to the Colony were to be sent out only if these conditions were fulfilled. An inquiry, to which Lord Emly referred, was made by a despatch of the 26th of July, 1869, and the result was adverse to the existence of the necessary conditions, and the undertaking became inoperative. Much of the Correspondence on the subject is of a confidential character, which could not conveniently be produced.