§ MR. WHITLEYasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether, when, in answer to a question put to him on the 3rd July last, he declined to lay upon the Table of the House the Correspondence relative to the illegal payment to Sir Napier Broome, while Acting Governor at Mauritius, he was aware that the Secretary of State for the Colonies had, several weeks previously to that date, ordered the Correspondence to be published in Mauritius, and that it was so published there; whether the Council of the Government of Mauritius has again refused to legalise the illegal payment to Sir Napier Broome; and, if so, whether any, and what, Correspondence has taken place upon such a refusal; whether he has now any objection to lay the Correspondence upon the Table of the House; and, whether he can now state what course the Government intend to adopt in regard to this matter?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYAt the time named the Governor had been instructed to lay the Correspondence referred to before the Colonial Legislature for the purpose of their taking into consideration the legalizing of the payment to which that Correspondence relates. It is not customary to lay before Parliament incomplete Papers on a matter which is under the consideration of a Colonial Assembly. The objections to any such anticipation of the proceedings in the Colony are obvious. What has exactly happened in Mauritius is that the Council has suspended all further proceedings in the matter until fresh instructions are received from the Secretary of State upon a consideration of 1372 further documents and information submitted to him. As they only arrived by last mail, he has not yet had time fully to consider them. His decision and the whole Correspondence will shortly be given.