HC Deb 30 June 1890 vol 346 cc332-3
MR. SAMUEL SMITH

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to a proposal on the part of the Indian Government to establish an outstill for the sale of intoxicating drink on a tea plantation in the Western Dooars; whether he has read the protest of the owners of the plantation, Messrs. Octavius Steel & Co., dated Calcutta, 30th April, 1890, in which they state— That nothing has so retarded the progress of the district as the spendthrift and degraded habits directly due, as we believe, to the facilities forced on the people for the obtaining of liquor from Government stills; whether, despite this protest, a requisition has been made from the Revenue Department for a piece of ground measuring about six acres, "for the purpose of an outstill and a Government market;" and whether, considering the vote of censure passed by the House of Commons last year on the Government of India for stimulating drunkenness by developing the outstill system, the Secretary of State for India will intimate his disapproval of this fresh attempt to force outstill on a reluctant population?

*THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GOEST,) Chatham

The attention of the Secretary of State was called to the subject some time ago by the Foreign Missions Committee of the Church of Scotland, and he has since been furnished by the hon. Member with a copy of the letter of protest. The Secretary of State is not aware whether a still has been, or will be, established. The matter has been referred to the Government of India for Report.