§ MR. TREVELYAN (Yorkshire, W.R., Elland)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government intend, in the case of Rhodesia, to depart from the principle, first laid down by the Member for West Birmingham, that Chinese labour should not be introduced into South Africa against the will of the inhabitants; whether he has read the views of Sir Marshall Clarke to the effect that the majority of the people of Rhodesia do not favour the introduction of such labour; and whether he will give the House an opportunity of expressing its opinion before sanction is given to the introduction of Chinese into Rhodesia.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Government adhere to the general statement of principle to which the hon. Gentleman refers in the earlier part of his Question. No decision has been come to in regard to the introduction of Chinese labour into Rhodesia; but I can give no pledge to the House, for reasons more than once stated, that a special day will be given for the consideration of the subject.
§ MR. TREVELYANDid not the right hon. Gentleman say that the reason for not giving the House an opportunity was that the same principles applied to Rhodesia that applied to the Transvaal?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think the principles are the same.
§ MR. TREVELYANI have pointed out in my Question that they are not the same.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon. Gentleman has not touched on any question; of principle in his Question, except in the first paragraph, and there I am at one with him.