HC Deb 18 July 1904 vol 138 cc264-5
MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether an understanding has been arrived at between the British and Russian Governments regarding the British expedition to Tibet, on the basis of an undertaking by Lord Lansdowne that the Mission will be withdrawn from Tibet as soon as its object has been accomplished; that no attempt will be made to enter Lhasa if an agreement can be arrived at before that capital has been reached; that the Russian Government has been assured that if the object of the Mission can otherwise be obtained no occupation of Lhasa is intended; and that the British officials will be withdrawn as soon as they have obtained an agreement on the questions of the delimitations of the boundary and the facilities that will be offered in the future; and whether the Russian Government is understood to be satisfied with these assurances.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, Guildford

With a view to preventing any misunderstanding the Russian Government was informed on June 2nd that His Majesty's Government still adhered to the policy laid down in a telegram to the Government of India of 6th November, 1903 (published at page 294 of the Parliamentary Papers relating to Tibet), though it was obvious that their action must to some extent depend upon the conduct of the Tibetans themselves, and that His Majesty's Government could not undertake that they would not depart in any eventuality from the policy which then commended itself to them; His Majesty's Government stated, however, that, so long as no other Power endeavoured to intervene in the affairs of Tibet they would not attempt either to annex it, to establish a Protectorate over it, or to control its internal administration.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

The right hon. Gentleman has referred to the correspondence between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Russian Government. I now ask will he lay it.

MR. BRODRICK

I do not propose to lay any Papers.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

This a matter of order.

* MR. SPEAKER

It is quite obvious that it is not necessary to lay the Papers referred to.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

But it is usual to publish in extenso Papers which are referred to by Ministers in this House and that should be done in this case.

* MR. SPEAKER

I have come to a different conclusion.