WESTERN SAMOA (GIFT OF A MACE) (Hansard, 4 July 1974)

§ The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Edward Short)

I beg to move, That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that Her Majesty will give directions that there be presented on behalf of this House a gift of a Mace to the Legislative Assembly of the Independent State of Western Samoa and assuring Her Majesty that this House will make good the expenses attending the same. The gift to the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa follows an established and very happy tradition that we send gifts from this House of Commons to other Legislatures within the Commonwealth. On 14th December 1972 my right hon. Friend the then Leader of the Opposition asked the then Prime Minister whether it was proposed that a gift should be presented on behalf of the House of Commons to the Parliament of Western Samoa to mark the tenth anniversary of independence. The right hon. Gentleman replied that no gift had been made on independence on 1st January 1962 because Western Samoa did not at that time apply to join the Commonwealth. However, in August 1970 Western Samoa did accede to the Commonwealth, so it seemed appropriate to mark the occasion by the presentation of a mace. It is that undertaking which we are now pleased to honour.

The mace, which is a beautiful piece of modern craftsmanship, was on display in the Upper Waiting Hall of the House from 10th to 21st June. If the House accepts the motion, as I am sure it will, arrange- 630 ments will, I hope, be made by you, Mr. Speaker, to send a small delegation from the House to present the gift later this year.

I therefore commend the motion to the House in the expectation that it will be accepted as an expression of our friendship and good will towards the Legislative Assembly of this sister Commonwealth country with which we have extremely happy and long ties. In doing so, I know that I shall be speaking for the whole House in expressing our good wishes for the future to the people and the Parliament of Western Samoa.

§ Mr. Ian Gilmour (Chesham and Amersham)

On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition, I should like to associate all my right hon. and hon. Friends with the sentiments expressed by the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House. As the right hon. Gentleman said, it was on 14th December 1972 that my right hon. Friend, in response to the then Leader of the Opposition, announced the decision to mark with an appropriate gift the independence of Western Samoa following her accession to the Commonwealth in August 1970. I feel sure that the mace which the House is giving will look as splendid in the Parliament of Western Samoa as it has done on display in the Palace of Westminster. I believe that it will be seen by all concerned as an appropriate symbol of the enduring links between our two countries.