§ MR. GODSON (Kidderminster)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the attention of the Secretary of State for the Colonies has been called to a letter from Mr. Julius Stafford Solomon, late Resident Justice at Harbour Island, Bahamas, to the Chief Justice of the Colony, in which Mr. Solomon intimates that he has been compelled by the Bahamian Government to reluctantly resign his position as a Resident Magistrate; whether any, and if any what, offence was alleged against Mr. Solomon; whether he is aware that, upon Mr. Solomon quitting office, the Resident Justice at Governors Harbour, Bahamas, was transferred to his post at Harbour Island, and a Mr. Austin Thompson, a brother-in-law of R. H. Sawyer, a member of the Executive Council, was provisionally appointed as Resident Justice at Governors Harbour; whether he is also aware that, after an inquiry recently held before the Executive Council of the Colony into some alleged misconduct of the Postmaster of the Colony, the said Postmaster was suspended from office and Mr. Austin Thompson appointed provisionally to fulfil the duties of Postmaster; and whether the Secretary of State will cause inquiry to be made both into the circumstances attending Mr. Solomon's quitting office and Mr. Austin Thompson's appointment as Resident Justice and acting Postmaster?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. S. BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarMr. 657 Yelverton, the Chief Justice of the Bahamas, has in a Letter received to-day communicated to the Secretary of State a letter addressed to him by Mr. Solomon, late Resident Justice of Harbour Island, in which he implies that he has been compelled to resign his office. The Secretary of State is not aware that any offence has been alleged against Mr. Solomon. The Governor reported that Mr. Solomon had retired on a pension, but we have no information of the circumstances which led to his retirement; but, in view of Mr. Solomon's letter, further inquiries are being made. On the retirement of Mr. Solomon, Mr. O'Halloran, the Resident Justice of Governors Harbour, was provisionally appointed Resident Justice of Harbour Island, and Mr. Austin Thompson was provisionally appointed Resident Justice of Governor's Harbour. These provisional appointments have been duly reported to the Secretary of State, but have not yet been confirmed by him. The Postmaster of the Bahamas has been suspended from his office. Pending the appointment of a new Postmaster, the officer administering the Government has appointed Mr. Austin Thompson to be acting Postmaster.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN (Worcestershire, E.)Was Mr. Solomon retired on account of his age?
§ MR. S. BUXTONThe only information received by the Colonial Office is that he retired on a pension.