§ MR. LAFONE (Southwark, Bermondsey)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he can state the quantity of alcoholic liquors received by, or shipped on account of the Niger Company, for consumption in the territories comprised in their Charter, during each quarter of the years 1886, 1887, and to the 31st of March, 1888, inclusive?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)I must first point out to my hon. Friend that the Returns for which he asks are of the private trade of the Royal Niger Company, which they are not bound to make public, and which is different from their revenue raised for administrative purposes. The figures which I lately gave in answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool (Sir George Baden-Powell) were taken from the Table of Imports taxed for administrative purposes. But the Directors of the Company have furnished me with the statement which I am about to read; at the same time, I must guard against their doing so being taken as a precedent for the details of their private commerce being subject to inquiry:—1886.—First quarter, 25,375 gallons; second quarter, 38,265 gallons; third quarter, 39,500 gallons; fourth quarter, 42,800 gallons—total, 145,940 gallons. 1887.—First quarter, nil; second quarter, 36,690 gallons; third quarter, 12,250 gallons; fourth quarter, 31,976 gallons. 1888.—First quarter, 20,125 gallons. I should, at the same time, mention that those quantities, which even now appear large, are distributed among a population of at least 5,000,000. They have been rapidly reduced from 1886; but I am informed that the import in that year was only half that in 1884.