§ MR. SPICER (Monmouth, &c.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether he will take the necessary steps to insure better police supervision in the Cachar District of Assam, where, since our interference in the affairs of Manipur, a number of dacoits having left Manipur have settled down in Cachar, some of whom, on 16th 1313 April, murdered the European manager of the Baladhun Tea Garden, and, since 16th April, have robbed an escort taking remittances from the neighbouring town of Silchar to the Kalinecherra Tea Garden, and whose presence in the district, coupled with the inactivity of the present District Superintendent of Police, has created a great want of confidence, which is likely to have disastrous results?
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. G. RUSSELL,) North Beds.The Secretary of State has no official information as to the matter to which my hon. Friend refers; but he has learned from the newspapers that there have been outrages in Cachar; that arrests have been made in connection with the murder mentioned in my hon. Friend's question; and that the party who are supposed to have committed the outrage are being tracked by the authorities. As at present advised, the Secretary of State has no information before him which leads him to think that the police force in Cachar is inadequate, or that there has been any neglect of duty on the part of its officers.