§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the statement in the Report of the British East Africa Company that the unfortunate position in which it finds itself is due, amongst other things, to the indefinite postponement of the consideration by Parliament of railway construction, to which, assuming the survey to be satisfactory, the previous Government was pledged; and whether there is any record of this pledge in the Foreign Office; if so, whether Her Majesty's present Advisers intend to give effect to it? I wish also to ask a further question, of which I have given private notice— whether any communication has been 1732 received from Sir Gerald Portal confirming the statement published in The Times of to-day from its Correspondent in Uganda, that the Soudanese troops have been enlisted in Her Majesty's-Service, and that Captain Macdouald has been appointed Resident; also whether the telegram in The Berliner Tageblatt is correct in stating that Sir Gerald Portal has hoisted the British flag and proclaimed a British Protectorate over Uganda; and whether it is competent for Sir Gerald Portal to do that, or to take any steps which would involve this country in the assumption of a Protectorate?
§ *THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. GREY,) Northumberland, BerwickNo information whatever has been received by the Foreign Office since the arrival of Sir Gerald Portal in Uganda either as to the truth of the statements alluded to by the hon. Member or otherwise. As to the Instructions to Sir Gerald Portal, they are before the House, and hon. Members are as well qualified to pronounce an opinion as to their scope as is the Government. With regard to the question on the Paper, the attention of the Secretary of State has been called to this statement; but there is no record of any such pledge beyond what is contained in the Correspondence between the Foreign Office and the Treasury which has been laid before Parliament in Blue Book Africa No. 2, 1892. In answer to the last line of the question, I have to say that the Report by Captain Macdonald of the survey of the route from Mombasa to the Victoria Nyanza has been received by the Treasury, and was presented to Parliament yesterday. No decision upon it will be taken till Sir Gerald Portal's Report has been received and considered by Parliament.
§ MR. STOREY (Sunderland)I think the hon. Baronet might have given a more specific answer to that portion of my hon. Friend's question which refers to the competency of Sir Gerald Portal to hoist the British flag in Uganda, or to take any steps which would involve this country in the assumption of a Protectorate. Is it the opinion of the Foreign Office that under his Instructions it is competent for Sir Gerald Portal to do these things?
§ SIR E. GREYThe Instructions given to Sir Gerald Portal gave him considerable latitude, especially in Clause 8; but I should think that the hon. Member can form his own opinion as to the scope of the Instructions. I have only to say that this question of their exact scope was very fully discussed on the Address in the early part of the Session, and it was then stated that any arrangement which Sir Gerald Portal may make will be provisional until his Report has been considered by the Government.
§ MR. LABOUCHERESurely the hon. Baronet can say whether it is the opinion of the Foreign Office that the Instructions given to Sir Gerald Portal allow the hoisting of the British flag and the assumption of a Protectorate?
§ *SIR E. GREYThese are the words in the Instructions—
A Mission to Central Africa cannot, of course, be conducted according to ordinary precedent; the infrequency and difficulty of communication may require a latitude beyond what is usual; and in entrusting to you these important duties Her Majesty's Government reckon with full confidence on your meeting with firmness and caution every occasion that may arise.In the absence of any news from Sir G. Portal, as to what he has done and why he did it, it is impossible for me to say more as to the scope of those Instructions.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREThis is a most important question. Do I understand that, in the opinion of the Foreign Office, Sir Gerald Portal's Instructions do allow him to hoist the British flag in Uganda and to assume a Protectorate over that country?
§ SIR E. GREYI can say nothing about the opinion of the Foreign Office on the subject until we have heard from Sir Gerald Portal.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI am not asking the hon. Gentleman what will be the decision of the Foreign Office on the point after they have received information from Sir Gerald Portal, but whether his Instructions authorise him to do what he has done?
§ SIR E. GREYI have already said that what Sir Gerald Portal does will be provisional until his Report has been considered. What he does must be contingent upon the circumstances and condition of things which he finds in Uganda, and until we know what they are I can say no more.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREAre we to understand that under certain conditions Sir Gerald Portal has a right to hoist the British flag in Uganda, and to assume a Protectorate ever the country?
§ [No answer was given.]