§ MR. W. REDMOND (Clare, E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, if, as an outcome of the present Conference of Australasian Premiers, the various Australasian Colonies should decide upon a Federal Constitution, Her Majesty's Government will be prepared to introduce an Act for the purpose of enabling such a Federal Constitution being established?
THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR THE COLONIES (MR. SYDNEYBUXTON, Tower Hamlets, Poplar)The question is hypothetical; and Her Majesty's Government cannot state the exact course that they would pursue in the event of the Australian Colonies approaching them on the question of Federation. But this may be said at once that Her Majesty's Government are favourably inclined to the idea of Inter-Australian Federation.