§ * MR. HERBERT SAMUEL (Yorkshire, Cleveland)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any official information to the effect that a party of British workmen who sailed for England from the Cape last Wednesday, have been dismissed from their employment on the Rand mines for having 1493 refused to sign a petition in favour of Chinese labour.
§ * MR. LYTTELTONNo, Sir; but I have to-day received the following telegram from Lord Milner:—I am requested to transmit to you by telegraph following resolution passed unanimously at a general meeting of Association of Mine Managers of the Witwatersrand held today: Begins—Resolved that the Association of Mine Managers having read Mr. Herbert Samuel's Question in the House of Commons regarding the dismissal of British workmen from the Witwatersrand mines because of their refusal to sign pro-Chinese petition, emphatically state that nothing of the kind ever took place. Upwards of 7,000 mine workmen signed the petition and neither on these nor on the 4,000 to 5,000 who did not, was any pressure directly or indirectly brought to bear—Ends.
§ * MR. HERBERT SAMUELMay I say that my Question was based on a telegram from the Cape correspondent of—
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!