§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if representations have been made to Her Majesty's Government by the Hon. Sir Charles Tupper, High Commissioner for Canada, the Hon. Robert Reid, Minister of Defence of Victoria, specially delegated by his Government, and the Hon. Sir Thomas M'Ilwraith, Chief Secretary of Queensland, supported by the Agents General of the other leading Colonies, for the amendment of Section 3 of "The Australasian Customs Act, 1873,"which in its present form is limited to the Australasian Colonies alone, and thus prevent dependencies of the Empire distant from each other from concluding mutually advantageous and preferential trading arrangements with each other; and whether it has been decided by the Government to accede to the wishes of the Colonies in this matter?
§ MR. S. BUXTONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; as regards the second part of the question the matter is still under consideration.