§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received any representations from the inhabitants of the gold-field districts of West Australia, complaining as to the position they are in regarding representation in the Parliament of their colony; and whether the Colonial Office is taking any action in the matter.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN, Birmingham, W.)The answer to the first question is in the affirmative. I am informed by the Prime Minister that representation has been enlarged in each third year as the population increased, and under the new Act there will be six out of thirty members of council directly representing the Eastern Goldfields, and out of a total of fifty members in the Assembly there will be fourteen direct representatives of the Eastern and other goldfields. I see, therefore, no reason to intervene.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDWill the Government, in order to equalise matters, go to war, as they did in the case of the Transvaal?