MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHYasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colo- 1758 nies, Whether he will lay upon the Table Copies of the recent Reports of the Cyprus Audit Officials entrusted with the inspection of revenue accounts in that island; whether Sir Robert Biddulph, the High Commissioner, has acted with the concurrence of the Secretary of State in censuring Mr. Vitalis, the official who made reports concerning alleged frauds on the Cyprus Exchequer; and, whether, having regard to the annual subsidy voted by this House in aid of the government of that island, Her Majesty's Government will cause a more searching inquiry than that of 1881 to be instituted into the financial administration of Cyprus?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYThe Reports in question will be laid on the Table. Any censure which Mr. Vitalis may have received has been sent independently of any action of the Secretary of State. It is not intended to direct any further inquiry from this country into the financial administration of Cyprus. The general results of that carried out in 1881 have been very satisfactory, and the measures taken by the local authorities have so improved the Revenue as to result in large diminutions of the grants in aid.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked whether at this time several officials were not in prison awaiting trial on charges of defalcation?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYYes, Sir.