HC Deb 10 March 1891 vol 351 cc582-3
MR. CONYBEARE

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India (1) how many persons have been arrested on suspicion and imprisoned without trial or deported under Regulation III. of 1818 since that date to the present time; (2) whether the said Regulation is printed in any of the official records of the India Office; and (3) why it has never been embodied in the Indian Penal Code?

*SIR J. FERGUSSON

In answer to the first question of the hon. Member I have to say that the Secretary of State has not the information asked for. Regulation III. of 1818 does not authorise deportation. The reply to the second question is Yes—Parliamentary Return No. 59, of the 20th of February, 1821. So far as the third question is concerned, I may say that the subjects of the Code and Regulation are entirely distinct.

MR. CONYBEARE

Upon that answer may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether I did not understand him to say yesterday, in answer to a question of mine, that Mr. Henry Silk Buckingham was deported under Regulation III.?

*SIR J. FERGUSSON

Nothing of the kind. I said that Abdul Rasul left India at his own wish.

MR. CONYBEARE

The question which I put to the right hon. Gentleman yesterday bearing upon this matter was whether Sheikh Abdul Rasul had not been deported under the same Regulation as applied to the case of Mr. Henry Silk Buckingham in 1818. What I want to know is this; if Regulation 3 of 1818 does not authorise deportation, under what Regulation was Sheikh Abdul Rasul deported, his declaration being that he was deported against his will?

*SIR J. FERGUSSON

I am informed that Abdul Rasul was not deported.

Subsequently,

MR. CONYBEARE said

There is one point in the question, upon which I wish to ask a further question, namely, how many persons have been arrested on suspicion and imprisoned without trial or deported under Regulation III. of 1818, since that date to the present time? I think I understood the answer of the right hon. Gentleman to be that the Regulation did not authorise deportation, I do not ask for names and particulars but can the right hon. Gentleman give me the number of persons who have been imprisoned during a certain period without trial merely on suspicion?

*SIR J. FERGUSSON

I think I have stated that no information has been furnished me, and that the Secretary of State is no in possession of the information asked for.

MR. CONYBEARE

Could not the right hon. Gentleman get the information?

*SIR J. FERGUSSON

I will inform the Secretary of State of the wish of the hon. Gentleman.