§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether any licences for the sale of intoxicating spirits have already been issued in Upper Burmah; and whether, if so, some of such licences have been issued in districts where there are few or no Chinese, and the population is purely Burmese; whether Her Majesty's 912 Government will now consent to present to the House the Reports recently received by the Government of India from officers in charge of districts, and other executive officers, in Upper Burmah, relating to the question of issuing licences for the sale of intoxicants and of opium, together with any other Correspondence bearing on the subject which they can properly produce; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will undertake that no licences for the sale of intoxicants or of opium in Upper Burmah shall be issued or (if already issued) be renewed until those Reports have been, presented, and until the Regulations under which it is proposed to issue such licences have been laid upon the Table of the House?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)The Secretary of State is informed by the Viceroy that no orders relating either to the sale of opium or spirits in Upper Burmah have been issued since the approval of the Regulation of March 19, 1886. Under this Regulation the sale of opium and spirits to Burmans was prohibited. All licences issued and now subsisting have been issued under Regulation. The Reports referred to have not yet been received by the Secretary of State, and cannot, therefore, now be presented. On their arrival the Secretary of State will consider them and all other communications on the subject, with the view of giving Parliament all possible information. All licences to sell opium or spirits are only issued under condition that these articles shall not be sold to Burmans. The issue of licences cannot, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, be suspended; because then the importation of opium, the manufacture of spirits, and the sale of both would at once be stimulated. The Secretary of State is informed that the whole subject of Burmese opium and liquor traffic is still under the consideration of the Chief Commissioner, and his proposals are not yet before the Government of India. But the Secretary of State will intimate to the Viceroy his opinion that the strongest precautions should be taken to prevent the sale of opium and spirits to Burmans and the issue of licences in places where the population is purely Burman.
§ MR. BRYCEassumed that when the Papers were presented, the hon. Gentle- 913 man would present also the Regulations which had been made, or were to be made, and a list of the districts in Upper Burmah in which these licences were issued. He would like also to ask, whether the Secretary of State would direct an inquiry in Upper Burmah as to whether, so far as the licences had gone, the Regulations were being strictly observed that there should be no sale to Burmans?
§ SIR JOHN GORSTasked for Notice as regarded the second Question. With regard to the first, he would endeavour to give the information to the House.