§ *MR. C. P. SCOTT (Lancashire, Leigh)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, before the Supplementary Estimate for expenditure incurred in respect of the recent disturbances in Asbanti is brought forward, be will distribute to Members Papers dealing with the events which led up to those disturbances; and whether be will now state what were the instructions given to Sir F. Hodgson as to obtaining possession of the Golden Stool and the collection of a war indemnity.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.Papers have been presented, and I am informed that they will be distributed on Tuesday. No instructions were given to Sir F. Hodgson 1339 as to the Golden Stool, but he was authorised, on the advice of himself and the Resident at Coomassie, to take steps to raise a revenue of £12,000 a year. The Resident recommended that this should not be called a tribute, or tax, but should be levied as interest on the unpaid war indemnities, which he believed the Ashantis would consider a perfectly just and legitimate debt.
§ MR. JAMES LOWTHER (Kent, Isle of Thanet)Can my right hon. friend say whether any estimate has been placed upon the value of the Golden Stool?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINThe Golden Stool has a "moral and intellectual value."
§ *MR. C. P. SCOTTIs not the Golden Stool regarded as the symbol of possession?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINPrecisely; that is the "moral and intellectual value."
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir; that was left to the present Resident.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI do not think there is any chance of getting them before Friday.