MR. BUXTONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is a fact that Tamatave, the principal port of Madagascar, is supplied, to an enormous extent, with inferior and poisonous rum from Mauritius, for which no other market can be found; whether it has been the cause of general 604 and disgusting intoxication throughout the town and neighbourhood; whether the Hova Government formerly imposed a duty of thirty-three per cent, on the importation, and was only compelled by English and other consular pressure to reduce such duty to ten per cent.; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will now, either by means of a similar Treaty to that just concluded with Siam, or in some other way, give some assistance and support to the Hova Government in their desire to recur to the former or even some higher scale of import duties on such rum?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI regret to say that it is a fact that a large quantity of inferior rum is imported into Madagascar from Mauritius; and it has, no doubt, been the cause of the evils to which my hon. Friend refers. The lowering of the rate of import duty on rum appears to have been chiefly owing to the voluntary action of King Radama II. The question is at this moment the subject of negotiation with the Hova Government.