§ MR. SNAPE (Lancashire, Heywood)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the prospectus of the Rhodesia Mining and Finance Company (Limited), in which claim is laid to a special grant, by the British South Africa Company, of land near Buluwayo, subject to the formation of a brewery and distillery company; and whether the Government will interfere to prevent the British South Africa Company establishing breweries and distilleries in the territories they control, in the face of the havoc made amongst the Natives, and of the request by Native Chiefs for the exclusion of intoxicating liquors from admission into their territory.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarMy hon. Friend has forwarded me the prospectus in question. The British South Africa Company are under an obligation, created by the 12th Article of their Charter, so to regulate the traffic in spirits and other intoxicating liquors in the territories under their administration as, so far as practicable, to prevent the sale of any spirits or other intoxicating liquor to any Natives; and that obligation, I am advised, they are anxious to fulfil and are fulfilling.
§ MR. SNAPEinquired whether it was fulfilling the obligation to sanction the establishment of a brewery and distillery in the country?
§ MR. BUXTONEuropeans are rapidly going into the country, and, under these circumstances, we have not thought it our duty to prohibit the sale of liquors there. We shall, however, take care that the British South Africa Company fulfil their obligations under the Charter.
§ MR. SNAPEIs it not the fact that the Natives still form the bulk of the population in the country?
§ MR. BUXTONNo doubt that is so; but these breweries and distilleries are with the view of supplying the wants of the European population alone. The question does not arise in regard to the Native population.