THE EARL OF CARNARVONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Her Majesty's Government will, during the present Session, introduce any measure for the Partition of the Debt of the Colonies of New South Wales and Queensland.
§ THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLEsaid that the debt in question amounted to between £2,000,000 and £3,000,000, and had been contracted by these two colonies before their separation, for the joint purposes, to some extent, of both. Recognizing the course which had been proposed by his predecessor, he had not come entirely to the same conclusions. His predecessor had determined on the introduction of a Bill in the Imperial Legislature for settling the question. He (the Duke of Newcastle) proposed, on the other hand, to remit the question to the colonies themselves for settlement. Instructions had been sent out to take steps for assembling the Legislature of the new colony of Queensland, but it was scarcely possible that an arrangement made by the Legislature of New South Wales alone would be acceptable to Queensland, and he had therefore suggested that a joint Commission should be appointed by each colony to settle this question, and at the same time for the adjustment of the boundary.