§ SIR GEORGE BADEN - POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the two Chartered Companies—namely, the "British North Borneo" and the "Royal Niger," render Returns to Her Majesty's Government of the Revenue, Expenditure, and External Trade of the territories which they administer; and, whether he can inform the House as to the quantities of spirits imported during the last financial year into the territories, respectively, of the British North Borneo and the Royal Niger Companies?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)The Niger Company is bound, under Article 15 of its Charter, to furnish to the Secretary of State, periodically or otherwise, full accounts and particulars with regard to the Revenue produced by duties, and to obey his directions in respect of such duties. It is not bound to furnish Returns of its private trade. The exact amount of spirits shipped to the Niger is not known; but it may be stated that the import is being steadily reduced by the action of the Company. In 1885 the reduction was 25 per cent on the 323 imports of 1884; in 1886, 50 per cent less than in 1884; in 1887 they were one-half of those of 1886. The British North Borneo Company does not render Returns to Her Majesty's Government of the Revenue, Expenditure, and External Trade of its territory; but Her Majesty's Government receive Reports upon the trade of the Company's ports from the Consular Agent, but have not received that for the last financial year. The value of spirits imported in 1885–6 was $14,478.