§ MR. HUNTER (Aberdeen, N.)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether a very large part of the Revenues of Upper Burmah under King Theebaw was drawn from leases of the teak forests and monopolies of earth oil and precious stones; whether Memorials have been received by the Government of India from merchants, traders in teak, and foresters in Burmah, in the end of 1885 and beginning of 1886, pointing out the wasteful and objectionable mode adopted by King Theebaw's Government of dealing with the valuable sources of Revenue derived from the teak forests, and praying the Government of India itself to undertake the working of the forests; what answer has been given to those Memorials; and, what course the Government intend to adopt to protect the merchants and traders in Burmah from the evils of the system of monopolies granted by ex-King Theebaw?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)I answer the first Question in the affirmative. Memorials have been presented to the Chief Commissioner of Burmah; but the Secretary of State has not received copies of either the Memorials themselves or the replies made to them. He 946 will cause inquiry to be made. The general policy of the Government is to do away with monopolies; but in reference to the teak forests claims have been advanced, based on concessions from King Theebaw, which are now under the examination and consideration of the Government of India.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)inquired, what was the number of claimants to the teak forests?
§ SIR JOHN GORSTasked for Notice of the Question.
§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)Is it part of the policy of getting rid of monopolies in Burmah that the Indian Government should have been treating with Messrs. Streeter alone?
§ [No reply.]