MR. GORSTasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether Nos. 355, 356, and 357 of the Rules for Her Majesty's Colonial Service, relating to the duties of the Local Auditor, apply to the Island of Cyprus; whether the observance of these Rules by the Auditor of Cyprus would have rendered impossible the frauds recently committed by the revenue officials; and, whether 1852 any inquiry has been, or will be, instituted by Her Majesty's Government as to how the commission of these frauds became possible, without complicity or connivance on the part of the superiors of the guilty officials?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYThe Colonial Regulations referred to apply to Cyprus. The frauds being all connected with the collection of so variable an amount as tithes, and most of them being not in the collection but in the assessment, and largely in collusion with the villagers, I am not prepared, on our present information, to say that the strictest observance of the Rules by the Auditor would have rendered the frauds impossible. There is no doubt that the method of assessment and collection of tithes in Cyprus is imperfect and obsolete, although it has been already much improved since the British occupation. The question, however, of superseding it by an entirely different system has been and still is under consideration by Her Majesty's Government. As to the question of inquiry, I may say that a searching investigation is now being made by the Receiver General, Mr. Swettenham, an officer of great Colonial experience, who has only recently been appointed to Cyprus. Until we receive further [details as to the method and results of his action, the Secretary of State is unable to say whether anything more in the way of investigation is necessary. The Governor's attention, however, will be specially drawn to the points referred to in the hon. Member's Question.