§ MR. J. A. PEASE (Northumberland, Tyneside)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will explain why tobacco is sold free of duty to prisoners of war in the Island of St. Helena, and a duty charged upon the tobacco sold to the British troops in the island; and why the Boer force receives preferential treatment as compared with the British force. I may further ask if it 897 is a fact that the Boer prisoners are fed on fresh meat while the British troops have to eat tinned meats?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.I know nothing whatever about the last statement. Presents for the Boer prisoners have been exempted from duty, but no instructions have been given for selling tobacco to them free of duty, which, however, is only one-fifth of the duty on tobacco imported into the United Kingdom. The exemption from duty accorded to presents for the Boer prisoners at St. Helena had been previously granted in the case of Boer prisoners at Cape Town, and had also been granted by the Transvaal authorities in the case of presents for the British prisoners at Pretoria. I think that the British troops at St. Helena should also receive this privilege in the case of presents sent to them, and I am instructing the Governor to this effect.
§ GENERAL LAURIE (Pembroke and Haverfordwest)Are the presents for the Boer prisoners sent from the United Kingdom or from Cape Colony?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI cannot answer that with any positiveness, but I believe they are sent from Cape Colony.