§ COLONEL NOLAN (Galway, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India if his attention has been called to a paragraph in the Times of the 22nd, stating that villages had been burned on or near the Mastaon Plateau; whether this statement is correct; and, if so, how many villages have been burned; whether these villages have been burned as a punishment or from military contingencies; and, further, if as a punishment, whether as a punishment for simple resistance or for some specific act of treachery committed by the village burned; and if the villages have been burned owing to military contingencies, would he state the nature of such contingencies, giving such data as would enable a comparison to be instituted with similar unavoidable accidents in European warfare?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GORST,) ChathamThe Mastaon Plateau is not in Manipur, but on the Afghan frontier. The Secretary of State has not received yet such detailed information respecting the military operations in that part of India as would enable him to reply to the various points in the hon. Member's question.
§ COLONEL NOLANWhen will the Secretary of State be in possession of such information?
§ SIR J. GORSTMy noble Friend the Secretary of State for India has the greatest confidence in the humanity and discretion of the Government of India, and he will not press them with questions which would seem to imply a want of confidence. There is no doubt that full Reports will come home in due course, by post, and when they are received they will be laid before Parliament. It will then be in the power of the hon. and gallant Member, if he wishes to find fault with the Government of India, to do so.
§ COLONEL NOLANI wish for a plain answer to a plain question. When will the Secretary of State for India be in the possession of such information as will enable him to answer the question? Will it be a week hence, or a month, or how long?
§ SIR J. GORSTIt is obviously impossible for the Secretary of State to form any conjecture as to when the Reports may be sent to him. I think that the hon. and gallant Member ought to be much more able to form an estimate than I can.
§ COLONEL NOLANIs it not usual to write a despatch within a week after an engagement? Is that the custom in India?
§ SIR J. GORSTI am not able to answer a question as to the military customs of India without notice. I should say that the General commanding in the field would send in a Report as soon as was possible consistently with the proper discharge of his duties in the field.