§ 18. Lieut.-Colonel Sir S. HOAREasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the great difference that exists between the systems of government in force in the various West Indian Islands, British Guiana, and British Honduras; and whether he will send a High Commissioner to the West Indies to make a comprehensive inquiry into these differences and into the many questions common to all the West Indies that urgently need impartial investigation?
Mr. WOODYes, Sir; I am aware that, partly owing to historical developments, but mainly to diversity in local conditions and needs, differences of considerable importance exist between the constitutions of the several West Indian Colonies, and I am not satisfied that uniformity in this matter is either possible or desirable. I shall always be happy to encourage the discussions in the West Indies of matters of common concern on the lines already adopted by my predecessors, as a result of whose efforts educational and medical conferences are being held this year, and I will consider the suggestion of my hon. Friend without at the present moment committing myself to it in any way.
§ Sir S. HOAREIs the hon. Gentleman aware that, whilst there have been comprehensive inquiries into questions of Government, as, for instance, in India, there has been no comprehensive inquiry into these West Indian Colonies for more than 20 years, and does he not think that the time has come for some inquiry of the kind, in view of the very severe discontent which exists against a great many of the details of our Crown Colony administration in the West Indies?
Mr. WOODI am sure that my hon. Friend is quite right when he says that there has been no recent public inquiry. On the other hand, this matter has received the continuous attention of successive Secretaries of State. The view that Lord Milner took when this was before him was that, whatever it might 1669 be possible ultimately to do in this connection must depend on the ripening of public opinion in the communities primarily concerned.
21. Mr. GIDEON MURRAYasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Colonial Office has had under consideration within the past year, and still has under consideration, any scheme for the establishment in the West Indies of a central advisory council to deal with the affairs common to those Colonies; and, if so, will he give the general outlines of this scheme?
Mr. WOODOne scheme of this kind was brought to the notice of my predecessor, who was personally sympathetic, but in the absence of evidence of a demand for a change on these lines from the inhabitants of the West Indian Colonies generally, he thought it undesirable to take any official action in the matter. It would be difficult to describe the scheme referred to within the limits of an answer, but the whole question continues to receive my careful consideration, and I should welcome the opportunity, if he so desired, of discussing it with my hon. Friend.
Mr. MURRAYWould it be possible to discuss this question at any time? The Colonial Office Estimates were put off last year and we very seldom get an opportunity of discussing colonial affairs.
Mr. WOODIf my hon. Friend was in the House last week, he will perhaps remember that a question was put to the Leader of the House on this point, and he said that the Colonial Office Vote would be kept open for a general discussion, apart from a discussion upon Middle East affairs. Consequently, the hon. Member will have an opportunity.
§ Sir S. HOAREDoes my hon. and gallant Friend not think that the time has come for dealing with this matter without waiting for the ripening of public opinion in the West Indies?
§ Mr. HURDDoes the hon. and gallant Gentleman not think that these ends would be best obtained by putting a representative of the West Indies on the Imperial Conference, and ask him whether they desire such a change?
Mr. WOODI cannot answer that question without notice, but I will under- 1670 take that that suggestion shall be considered. With regard to the question put by my hon. and gallant Friend (Sir S. Hoare), I will consider it, but I think he will be sensible of the difficulty in these matters of attempting to deal with them without waiting for the free expression of opinion in the Colonies.
22. Mr. G. MURRAYasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give the names of the Colonies situated in West Indian waters from which, within the past two years, he has received representations by petition or otherwise for a more advanced or an altered form of government; and whether he will state what action has or is being taken in the case of each Colony so concerned?
Mr. WOODPetitions have been received from the Presidency of St. Kitts-Nevis and from the Colonies of St. Vincent, Jamaica and Grenada. In the first three cases my predecessor was not satisfied that the changes proposed were justified by the local conditions and desired by the majority of the inhabitants. In the case of Grenada, which has had experience of elective institutions for municipal purposes, I have approved of a proposal that a proportion of the seats in the Legislative Council should be filled by election. Representative institutions, of course, already exist in Jamaica, and no alteration in the elective system appears necessary.
Mr. MURRAYWill my hon. Friend ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is not desirable to treat this question as a whole and whether he will consider the desirability of sending out someone like the Under-Secretary to the West Indies next winter in order to go into the whole matter to try and co-ordinate the systems of government in those various West Indian Colonies?
§ Earl WINTERTONWill the hon. Gentleman see that the White Paper dealing with these questions is distributed so that hon. Members may be made acquainted with the very serious grievances these Colonies are suffering from?
Mr. WOODI am not quite sure what has been done with regard to the Noble Lord's question, but I will make inquiries. With regard to sending me to the West 1671 Indies, I will transmit that suggestion to the Secretary of State, and, as far as I am concerned, it will have my enthusiastic support.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWill the hon. Gentleman bear in mind in granting representative institutions to these Colonies the urgent necessity of having in those institutions no colourbar?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat question should be put on the Paper.