§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)I beg to ask the Undersecretary of State for India whether, considering that the International Labour Conference at Berlin is expressly stated in the Emperor of Germany s opening address to be a Conference of European States, that the Letter of the British Plenipotentiaries, of 19th March, 1890, states that "Southern Countries" are interpreted to mean Italy and Spain, and that Sunday rest was a prominent feature of the deliberations and resolutions of the Conference, he can say whether the case of more southern, tropical, and semi-tropical, non-European, and non-Christian countries was in any degree considered by the Conference; and, if not, whether the Secretary of State, in sending the resolutions of the Conference to the Government of India, has drawn attention to that circumstance, and has taken care that the Government is left perfectly free to deal with the matter, with sole reference to the situation and feelings of the natives of India, and is to be in no way hampered by the example of European countries; and whether it is quite understood that the postponement of legislation by the Government of India was entirely spontaneous, and in no way suggested by the Secretary of State, with a view to more stringent legislation founded on European examples?
SIR J. GORSTWith regard to the proceedings of the Berlin Conference, the hon. Member will find them all fully stated in the Papers laid before Parliament. The Despatch in which the Secretary of State forwarded the proceedings to the Government of India, will be produced as soon as the correspondence relating thereto is completed. The answer to the last paragraph of the question is in the affirmative. The action of the Government in India was entirely spontaneous.