BAHAMAS (GIFT OF A MACE) (Hansard, 18 June 1975)

§ 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 House of Assembly of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and assuring Her Majesty that this House will make good the expenses attending the same. The gift to the House of Assembly of the Bahamas follows an established and very happy tradition that we send gifts from this House of Commons to other legislatures within the Commonwealth. On 3rd July, 1973, in reply to a Question from my right hon. Friend the then Leader of the Opposition about independence gifts to the Bahamas, the then Prime Minister said that Her Majesty's Government would propose that the House of Commons should offer a parliamentary gift to the House of Assembly of the Bahamas. It is that undertaking which we are now pleased to honour.
The Speaker of the Bahamas House of Assembly was, of course, consulted about the form of the gift and very much welcomed the proposal to present a Mace. The Mace has now been made. It is a very beautiful piece of British workmanship. It was on display in the Upper 1398 Waiting Hall of the House for hon. Members to inspect last week. I expect that many hon. Members have seen it. If the House accepts the motion, as I am sure it will, arrangements will be made, I hope, 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 friendship and good will towards the House of Assembly of a sister Commonwealth country with which we have such long and extremely happy 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 Parliament of the Bahamas.

§ Mr. Reginald Maudling (Chipping Barnet)
On behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, may I say that my right hon. and hon. Friends wish to be very warmly associated with what the Leader of the House has just said. We welcome very much that this is being done and trust that this Mace will remain as a symbol of the warm and continuing friendship between the peoples of our two countries.

§ Mr. Jeremy Thorpe (Devon, North)
As one who has been privileged to go to the Bahamas on one or two occasions, and who has some knowledge of the feelings of friendship which the people of the Bahamas have towards this country, which I believe are reciprocated, may I warmly associate myself with everything the right hon. Gentleman has said and hope that this Mace will remain as a symbol not only of the links between our countries but of the fact that we continue to enjoy parliamentary democracy in common.

§ Sir David Renton (Huntingdonshire)
I rise only because I had the honour, on behalf of this House, as leader of the delegation from this House, presenting the Mace to the National Assembly of Uganda. I express the hope that our friendship with the Bahamas will remain at least as good as our friendship with Uganda has been since then.