§ SIR WILLIAM WEDDERBURN (Banffshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the statements of Reuter's Correspondent that in the poor-house at Nagpur deaths occur daily, and that in one village in the Central Provinces over twenty deaths from actual starvation had occurred before 4th February; and whether he is in possession of any information as to the total deaths from famine up to date?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONI have seen the statements to which the hon. Member refers, but they are associated with explanations which are as worthy of attention as the statements themselves. The second set of famine papers, which have been in the hands of the printers for ten days and which will soon be ready, contain all the information I have received regarding famine mortality, including a comparative statement of the total deaths in the Central Provinces from all causes for the years 1895 and 1896.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)asked when the noble Lord could 1593 answer the Question, and whether at Nagpur deaths were not occurring daily?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONThere must be a lapse of time between the collection of statistics in India and their arrival here, and that cannot be reduced to less than three months. If there is exceptional mortality I have directed the Indian Government to inform me.
§ MR. MACNEILLsaid he really must press the noble Lord as to whether, aye or no, deaths were not taking place at Nagpur daily. [Ministerial cries of "Order."]
§ *MR. SPEAKERsaid the question had already been answered.