§ MR. WEBSTER (St. Pancras, E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether he has yet received information as to the alleged statement that the troops employed in the Manipur expedition were at the time of the recent disaster without an adequate or suitable supply of reserve ammunition to fit their rifles; and whether, if he has no knowledge as yet on the subject, he will telegraph to India for such information?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GORST, Chatham)I presume that the hon. Gentleman cannot have received a communication which I forwarded to him this afternoon, asking him to postpone this question until I can receive information from India?
§ MR. WEBSTERNo, Sir; I did not receive a communication from the right hon. Gentleman, and, of course, 1 will defer the question.
§ MR. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether he has now obtained any official reply as to the truth or falsehood of the rumours which have appeared in the Press, that the Indian troops killed Manipuri women and children in the affair at Manipur, so that, in case the rumour be proved false, it may be categorically denied?
§ SIR J. GORSTThe noble Lord the Secretary of State for India is in possession of official information from Manipur which denies, by implication, the statement contained in the question; but he has thought proper, under the circumstances, to address a special telegram to the Government of India on the subject, and I must ask the hon. Member to postpone his question until the answer to that inquiry has been received.