§ MR. LAMONT (Buteshire)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that there is a strong feeling in the Colony of Trinidad in favour of the re-establishment of the elective municipal council of the borough of Port-of-Spain, abolished during his tenure of office by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for West Birmingham; and whether the Secretary of State contemplates any action in the matter.
§ * MR. CHURCHILLThe question of the municipal government of Port-of-Spain was referred by the Governor to a local committee, who presented an interim report on the 31st of January. They recommended that the existing authorities exercising municipal functions in Port-of-Spain should be amalgamated; but on the question of the constitution of the future municipal authority they were only able to arrive at a negative recommendation, viz., that the proposal that it should be composed partly of elected and partly of nominated members should be abandoned. The Secretary of State is not at present in possession of the Governor's views on the subject, and must, therefore, defer for the present any statement as to future policy. If my hon. friend has 1096 special knowledge of this question I should be glad if he would communicate with me, so that I may bring his views to the notice of the Secretary of State.