§ Captain PEELasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state what were the circumstances which prevented His Majesty assenting to the Bill passed in 1900 by the Legislature of Queensland to amend the Sugar Works Guarantee Acts, 1893 to 1895; whether any protest was made by the Queensland Government against the refusal to give His Majesty's Assent to the Bill; whether the Governor acted upon his own responsibility, upon the advice of Ministers, or as the result of instructions from the Imperial Government, and, if upon instructions, were such instructions general or special instructions in respect of this particular measure; whether the Sugar Works Guarantee Acts, 1893 to 1895, have since been amended; and, if so, in what way were the objections met which prevented the amending Bill of 1900 receiving His Majesty's Assent?
Mr. HARCOURTThe circumstances which prevented His Majesty's assent being given to the Bill of the Parliament of Queensland of 1900 to amend the Sugar Works Guarantee Acts, 1893 to 1895, were explained by the right hon. Member for West Birmingham, in reply to a question in the House of Commons on 7th June, 1901. No protest was made by the Queensland Government against the refusal to assent to the Bill. The Bill was reserved by the Governor on the advice of the Attorney-General of Queensland and in accordance with the Royal instructions. These instructions are general in character. Subsequent legislation on the subject does not contain the particuar expressions to which exception was taken by the Secretary of State.