MAJOR SEELYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his statement in his telegram to Lord Milner of 16th January, that the provisions of the draft Ordinance for the importation of indentured labour, if applied to British Indians, would 1488 probably be objected to by the Indian Government, is based upon any correspondence; and, if so, whether he will lay this correspondence upon the Table of the House.
§ MR. LYTTELTONThe statement in the telegram in question was based, not upon any correspondence, but upon the fact that communications have been proceeding between the Transvaal Government, the Colonial Office, the Indian Office, and the Indian Government with a view of arriving at an agreement with regard to the status of the Indian traders, licensed and unlicensed, carrying on business in the Transvaal now and before the war; and that pending the settlement of this matter the Indian Government is disposed to object to the introduction of Indian coolies into the Transvaal. As those negotiations are still proceeding I do not propose to lay Papers at present.