§ MR. W. ALLENI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether his attention has been called to a letter in the Pall Mall Gazette of 4th March, which states that in December last a Brass chief called Karemma made a statement to the Vice Consul, to the 561 effect that his canoes had been seized and four of his boys shot by the crew of one of the Royal Niger Company's launches; and, whether the Government intend to take steps to prevent such occurrences in future.
§ MR. H. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)asked whether the House was to understand that the action of the Royal Niger Company was to be inquired into by the Commission.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYsaid he had already answered the question. If it was required he would state the purport of it again—namely, that the inquiry would be of a wide scope, and certainly it ought to include such a point as that mentioned.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREBut will the inquiry include the action of the Royal Niger Company itself?
§ MR. W. ALLENWill it be an open inquiry?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe inquiry is to be made by an official selected to inquire into the whole of the causes. It is not possible to make a wider statement than that.