§ SIR C. W. DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is the ease that there is now no Vote on Estimates on which the proceedings of the Royal Niger Company can be questioned, except it be the Foreign Office Vote; whether the Foreign Office receive from the Company detailed accounts showing the amount of trade in liquor, spirit licences, arms, and gunpowder, as contrasted with all other trade; and whether it would be possible to lay such accounts before Parliament, together with an annual Report on the proceedings of the Company?
§ SIR E. GREYThe answer to the first question is in the affirmative. The trade accounts of the Company are not submitted to the Foreign Office. The present position is that the Government, after an exhaustive inquiry into the expenses of administration, have sanctioned a maximum amount to be levied in duties for a fixed period. The Government could not press the Company to submit its trade accounts; there is no Government officer in the territories of the Company to prepare an annual Report, but one is laid by the Company before its shareholders.
§ SIR C. W. DILKEHaving regard to the engagements of the Government in reference to Central Africa on the question of traffic in arms and liquor, could not the Government inquire of the Company as to the amount of trade in these articles?
§ SIR E. GREYI will see what inquiries can be made. I can make no promise beyond that.