MR. GORSTasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the Ordinance authorising the detention in custody of Zebehr Pasha was made in consequence of instructions from the Colonial Office in London; when those instructions were given; whether they can be laid upon the Table of the House; whether the General Officer who commands the garrison exercises by himself all the functions of legislation at Gibraltar; whether the Ordinance in question was first promulgated or made known publicly some hours after Zebehr Pasha had been landed by being affixed to the Exchange Buildings, by leave of the Exchange Committee and Chamber of Commerce, at the request of the Colonial Secretary; and, whether any Ordinance was ever published in this way before?
§ MR EVELYN ASHLEYYes, Sir. On the 25th of March telegraphic instructions were sent to the Governor of Gibraltar instructing him to pass the necessary Ordinance. There will be no objection to lay on the Table of the House the despatch which followed, and which was the extender of the contents of the telegram. The General Officer commanding, who is also the Governor, is the sole legislative authority. Whether the Ordinance was published by 24 being affixed to the Exchange Buildings or not I do not know; but it duly appeared in The Gibraltar Chronicle of the 30th of March, the day on which Zebehr landed, and this is the usual mode of promulgating Ordinances in Gibraltar.