§ MR. S. SMITH (Flintshire)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether his attention has been called to the strong opposition of the Native population of the District of Uluberia, in Bengal, to the introduction of the out-still system for the manufacture and sale of strong drink; and, whether he will call the attention of the Government of India to the matter?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)A correspondent of a weekly Native newspaper in Bengal, having a circulation of 700, stated last February that he had learnt that the people of Uluberia were about to petition against an alleged intention of the authorities to establish ten out-stills there. I do not think it needful to bring so vague a statement to the notice of the Government of India, especially as the Bengal Excise Commission only three years ago reported that the central, as opposed to the out-still, distillery system should be maintained in Uluberia.