On May 4th, 1904, Mr. Lyttelton issued a circular to
all Colonial Governors desiring them to furnish him with copies of any resolutions passed since 1890 by Colonial Legislatures in favour of Preferential trade relations between the Colonies and the United Kingdom. The text of their replies is now embodied in a Parliamentary Paper (Cd. 2,326) issued on Tuesday, and furnishes an instructive commentary on the famous "Colonial offer." The solitary resolution from Australia is one of an extremely general character passed by Victoria in 1896. Since that date there has been nothing from the States or from the Commonwealth collectively, although at the Colonial Conference of 1902 it was resolved that at the earliest possible opportunity the Premier should request the Commonwealth Government "to give substantial preference to the products and manufactures of the United Kingdom." Canada has granted Preference in the form of heavier duties against foreigners, but without ex- pectation of a return, and Mr. Chamberlain himself at the Conference described the gift as "not worth paying for."
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