HC Deb 18 July 1898 vol 62 cc76-7
MR. DAVITT (Mayo, S.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has made the promised inquiries into the reasons which induced the Government of the colony of Hong-kong to issue an order of banishment against Sun Yat Sen; whether he can now say what the grounds were upon which this order was issued; whether any application had been made to the Governor of Hong-kong by the Chinese Government for the expulsion of Sun Yat Sen; and, if so, was this application submitted to the Colonial Office before being acted upon; and whether, if no breach of British law has been committed on British territory by this Chinese reformer, the decree of banishment from Hong-kong will be withdrawn?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.

The promised inquiries have been made, and I have to supplement my previous answer as follows. Sun Yat Sen, not being a natural born or naturalised subject of Her Majesty, was, under section 3 of the Banishment and Conditional Pardons Ordinance of 1882, prohibited from residing in the colony for five years from the 4th of March, 1896, on the ground that he was, in the opinion of the Governor in Council, dangerous to the peace and good order of the colony. No application was made by the Chinese Government for his banishment, and he left the colony prior to the issue of the order; but there seems to have been no doubt that he was implicated in a conspiracy against that Government, which made and makes his presence in Hong-kong undesirable. I see no reason to interfere with the temporary prohibition of his residence in Hong-kong.

MR. DAVITT

I wish to ask the right honourable gentleman whether he is aware that no opportunity has been given to Sun Yat Sen to meet the charges made against him.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

I cannot answer that question without notice; but I think I have seen in the papers that this gentleman is now leading the rebels in China, and—

MR. DAVITT

I hope he will be successful.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

If that be true it will confirm the opinion of the Government of Hong-kong.