§ MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the Government of India has taken, or is about to take, any stop for securing the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Act in that 543 country, in addition to temporarily suspending its operation; whether Her Majesty's Government is prepared to make to the Government of India any representation with the view of securing that repeal; and, whether Her Majesty's Government is prepared to make to the Government of India any representation with the view of securing the repeal of those provisions in the Cantonment Acts which give powers to the Local Government to make Rules and Regulations for inspecting and controlling houses of ill-fame, and for licensing and compelling the examination of prostitutes?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)The power of repealing Acts of the Indian Legislature is vested, by Act 24 & 25 Vict. c. 67, in the Council of the Governor General for making Laws and Regulations. The Government have no intention of interfering—nor have they the power to interfere—with the discretion of that Body in making, repealing, or amending laws. The directions given to the Government of India as to the Regulations to be framed under the Cantonment Act will be found in the despatch which I have laid on the Table.
§ MR. JAMES STUARTasked, whether the House was to understand, from the hon. Gentleman's reply, that the Government, while condemning certain Regulations as immoral and ordering their removal, were unwilling to take any steps for removing that legislation which authorized them, and, in some cases, encouraged them.
§ SIR JOHN GORSTThe Legislature having entrusted a particular Body in India with the duty of making and amending the laws, it would be highly unbecoming of Her Majesty's Government to interfere with them.
§ MR. STANSFELD (Halifax)Does the hon. Gentleman mean to assure the House that in the history of the relations of Her Majesty's Government with the Government of India there are no precedents of advice or counsel being given by the Secretary of State to the Government of India?
§ SIR JOHN GORSTThat being a Question of precedent, it is only fair that I should have Notice of it.
§ MR. JAMES STUARTDoes the hon. Gentleman know that advice was 544 given to the Government of India by Her Majesty's Government four years ago?
§ SIR JOHN GORSTasked for Notice of that Question also.
§ MR. STANSFELDIn consequence of the answer of the hon. Gentleman, I beg to give Notice that on the 5th of June, on which day my hon. Friend the Member for the Crewe Division (Mr. M'Laren) has obtained first place for a Notice of Motion, he will move a Motion in favour of the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts, or those portions of them which authorize or encourage either the compulsory examination of women or the regulation of prostitution, and on that occasion he will undoubtedly endeavour to obtain a decision from the House.