§ MR. ANDERSONasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, If it be the fact that, at present, a number of Governors of West India Crown Colonies are in this Country waiting for instructions, and if Her Majesty's Government will recommend the repeal of taxes on breadstuffs and other staple articles of food, whenever it can be done with the consent of the people, and raise revenue in other ways; and, if Her Majesty's Government will also give them instructions to abolish their Encumbered Estates Courts whenever possible? He meant the Question to include Jamaica, though he was not sure whether Jamaica was a Crown Colony or not.
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYSir, the Governor of Jamaica is not in this country; but the Governors in Chief of the Windward and Leeward Islands are in 265 this country; but the former only arrived this week. Her Majesty's Government will take advantage of their presence to confer with them on the Report of the Royal Commissioners, which deals with these questions of import duties. Her Majesty's Government would be glad to see the taxes on food reduced, or even abolished, wherever that can be done with the concurrence of the local Legislature and population. The difficulty, however, is to find alternative means of raising the revenue, which would be acceptable and less burdensome to the people. The question of the Encumbered Estates Courts is not only complicated, but also involved, though not necessarily bound up with the other question of what is called the consignees' lien. Her Majesty's Government are about to invite the local Legislatures to consider the arguments for and against the continuance of the existing system; and, before coming to any final decision, they must ascertain the feeling in the Colony concerned.