§ MR. HILLS (Durham)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any decision has now been arrived at as to the financial responsibility for the repatriation of Chinese coolies.
§ MR. CHURCHILLIf the hon. Member's Question refers to repatriation on the expiration of contracts the payments will of course be regulated by law, but if he desires information as to the repatriation of coolies under what is known as the repatriation notice I can add nothing to my reply to the hon. and gallant Member for East Down given on the 15th of May. †
§ MR. CHURCHILLI presume the hon. Gentleman is referring to the second of the two alternatives. I do not quite know, but the Government in the Transvaal are at present carrying on the arrangement exactly as it has been.
§ SIR GILBERT PARKER (Gravesend)Is this Government to continue to bear the financial responsibility or the Transvaal Government?
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe cost of the repatriation of the Chinese who avail themselves of the special conditions offered to them by the Government will of course be met by this Government so long as the arrangement continues.
† (4) Debates, clxxiv., 951–2.