MR. CURZON (Lancashire, Southport)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether Her Majesty's Government will include among the subjects to be inquired into by the proposed Royal Commission on Opium, the allegation that opium has been forced, or is now being forced, by the British Government upon China, and the consequent moral responsibility of the British Government; when the Commission will be appointed; whether it will be issued in the name of the Queen or of the Viceroy; and whether its sittings will be confined to India, or will take place both in this country and in India?
MR. G. RUSSELLHer Majesty's Government do not propose to make any addition to the terms of Reference as contained in the Motion which was carried on the 30th ultimo; but there is nothing to prevent the Commission, when inquiring whether the sale of opium in British India should be prohibited, from raising the question suggested by the hon. Member if they think fit to do so. The Commissioners will be appointed as soon as possible; but the matter requires most careful consideration, and no date can be named at present. The Commission will be issued in the name of the Queen, and its sittings will not necessarily be confined to India.
MR. CURZONI should like to ask the hon. Gentleman if I am to gather from his answer that the Government really mean to exclude from the official inquiry the whole subject of our relations on the opium question with China? He must know perfectly well that that is a matter which has been laid great hold of in discussions in this country. Is this question to be altogether outside the official scope of the inquiry, and is it only to be, so to speak, by accident that it will be inquired into by the Royal Commission?
MR. G. RUSSELLI do not dispute the proposition laid down by my hon. Friend with regard to the importance of this question; but the terms of Reference are prescribed for us by the Resolution carried by the House of Commons, and the Secretary of State does not feel disposed to either add to or subtract from those terms. Should the Commission in its discretion decide that this particular 1149 branch of the question should be inquired into, such action could hardly be described as accidental. They will be at liberty to deal with it in their Report, without the subject being included in the terms of Reference.