§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTON (Tower Hamlets, Poplar)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been drawn to the serious allegations contained in the Report of the Medical Inspector of British Guiana for the year 1886, as to the insanitary and otherwise defective condition of the coolie hospitals and villages in that Colony, also to the high death rate prevailing amongst the indentured labourers which that Report revealed; and, if so, whether any steps have yet been, or are about to be, taken to remedy the evils complained of; and, whether a copy of the Medical Inspector's Report for 1886, together with any Correspondence relating thereto, will be laid upon the Table of the House?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSThe Report of the Medical Inspector of British Guiana pointed out the existence of sanitary and other defects in the coolie hospitals and the dwellirgs of the coolies on some of the estates, and contained comments on the death rate of the indentured immigrants, which, however, was not shown to be excessive. The attention of the Governor was called to the Report; some of the defects had been remedied before the date of the Report, and steps have been taken to improve the sanitary crndition of the coolies by the issue of new regu- 583 lations as to the estates, hospitals, and the dwellings of the indentured emigrants. It is not proposed to lay the Report and Correspondence on the Table, as the matter has been practically dealt with.