§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the revenue of the Gold Coast Colony exceeds the expenditure; and, if so, what has been done with the money?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir HENEY HOLLAND) (Hampstead), in reply, said, that after reserving £50,000 for unforeseen emergencies, a measure which had been urged on several Colonies as a precaution, and was specially valuable at the Gold Coast where the revenue was liable to fluctuations by tribal disturbances in the interior, there remained an estimated accumulated surplus of about 65 £28,000 on January 1, 1887. The estimates for the current year contained a provision of £23,000 for public works, the greater part, if not all, of which will have to be defrayed out of capital.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORwished to know, whether the Colonial Office exercised any influence over the local administration in those Colonies, in order to see that needful work was undertaken and properly carried out?
§ SIR HENRY HOLLANDpromised to consider the suggestion, which he thought a useful one.