§ MR. SETON-KARR (St. Helens)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government are considering the proposals of the Government of British Columbia to guarantee the interest on an Imperial loan of £150,000, to be utilised for the colonisation of selected families from the United Kingdom to that country; whether, in view of the favourable nature of such proposals, the Imperial Government are prepared now, or in the near future, to in any way accept or co-operate in them; if so, to what extent; if not, what are the objections, if any, to such co-operation; and whether the Imperial Government are aware how long the British Columbian Government are prepared to keep this offer open for acceptance?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHThe Government have not yet had sufficient time to fully consider the Report of the Colonisation Committee, but it is obvious that it is too late this year to select families for emigration. It will, however, be necessary for the Government before the autumn to go into the question if emigration is to take place next spring, and I hope it may be in my power before the House finally rises to make sonic statement of our intentions.