§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information that the residents of the Bahamas have asked the Legislature of the Colony to open negotiations with the Dominion of Canada with a view to the inclusion of the Bahamas in the Canadian Federation; whether such proposal has been made in consequence of the injury to the trade of the islands caused by the tariff of the United States of America on their produce, and with a view to securing the benefit of closer commercial relations with other parts of the Empire; and was he in a position to inform the House if any communications or petitions have been received by the Colonial Office on the subject; and, if it was not considered premature, would he state whether the Government would be prepared to further a proposal, if desired by both parties, that the Bahamas should become a province of Canada?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)I have received the text of a resolution to this effect, passed by the local legislature, but at present I have no further information on the subject. I have asked the Governor for fuller particulars, and in the meantime I am unable to make any further statement, or to indicate what will be the view of His Majesty's Government with regard to the proposal.