DR. CAMERONasked the Under Secretary of State for India, If he will state the result of the promised investigation into the conduct of Colonel Hooper, the Provost Marshal, stated by The Times Correspondent at Mandalay to have attempted to extort evidence from one Burmese prisoner by unauthorised preparations for his execution, and to have photographed other prisoners 897 while in the act of being shot; whether his attention has been called to a Despatch from the same Correspondent, published in The Times, of the 29th ultimo, in which the Correspondent asserts that the Military authorities who conducted the inquiry abstained from taking evidence from European civilians, a number of whom he names as having been eyewitnesses of what he described, and received "only the evidence of the implicated parties;" whether, if this be true, he will take steps to secure a thorough and impartial inquiry; and, whether any and, if so, what steps have been taken in the case of Colonel Hooper in connection with this matter?
THE UNDER SECRETAEY OF STATE (Sir UGHTRED KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH)I have to say that we have received from Lord Dufferin the following Report—namely, that the investigation of the charges against the Provost Marshal shows that he did photograph men undergoing execution, but that the prisoners were blindfolded, and did not know that they were being photographed, nor were the executions in any way protracted; that on one occasion an attempt was made, under the Provost Marshal's orders, to extract evidence by threats of execution; that for both these offences he will be severely censured, and will lose the preferment which he had otherwise deserved; and that his office exists no longer. The results thus reported by the Viceroy by no means satisfied the Secretary of State. He has, consequently, communicated with the Viceroy by telegraph. As soon as the Secretary of State is in possession of further information, I shall take care to make it known to the House. Perhaps the hon. Member for Newry (Mr. J. H. M'Carthy) will accept this as an answer to his Question.