§ MR. ALDERMAN M'ARTHURasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether it is true, as stated in the "Daily News" of Thursday, February 15th, that Lord Carnarvon has ordered the Administrator of the Gambia to give notice to the British merchants at Bathurst that protection is now to be withdrawn from the trade in the River 468 Gambia above M'Carthy's Island; and, if so, whether he will lay the Correspondence on the subject upon the Table of the House?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, the notice to which the hon. Gentleman refers cannot properly be termed a withdrawal of protection to trade in the River Gambia, as no such protection was ever guaranteed above M'Carthy's Island. The circular issued by the Administrator merely renews the caution repeatedly given to traders that in going beyond that limit they do so at their own risk. The so-called Treaty of 1829, by which land was proposed to be ceded above M'Carthy's Island, was negotiated without the sanction of the then Secretary of State, was summarily disapproved, and consequently has never had any validity.